A influência de antioxidantes fotoprotetores orais no tratamento do melasma: uma revisão de ensaios clínicos randomizados

Abstract

Introduction: Melasma is a chronic, asymptomatic skin condition characterized by brown
spots, more common in women and people with pigmented skin. Photoprotective compounds
with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant action, present in supplements, herbal medicines,
hormones, or bioactive compounds, can aid in prevention and treatment. Objectives: to review
the scientific literature on the influence of oral photoprotective antioxidant compounds in the
treatment of melasma in the general population. Methodology: integrative review of the last
10 years on the influence of oral photoprotective antioxidant compounds in the treatment of
melasma. Conventional literature databases were used: PubMed, SCOPUS, EMBASE, and
Cochrane Library, in addition to gray literature: Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and
Dissertations (BDTD), Virtual Health Library (BVS), Google Scholar, and Clinical Trials. The
following index terms used in the search were selected from the Health Sciences Descriptors
(DeCS/Mesh) portal: “randomized clinical trial,” melasma, phytotherapy, “nutritional
supplementation,” and “dietary supplementation” in Portuguese and English, using Boolean
operators to combine the search terms: “AND” and “OR.” To broaden the search, some terms
were truncated when necessary. Results: A total of 7,667 publications were identified, of which
seven studies met the eligibility criteria. The main interventions included melatonin, Pinus
pinaster, licorice extract, lemon balm, fennel, Damask rose, and synbiotics. The studies reported
significant reductions in the mMASI scale, as well as improvements in MELASQoL,
colorimetry, erythema, GASI, and photographic analysis. Conclusion: This integrative review
showed that several antioxidant and photoprotective compounds have effective potential in the
treatment of melasma.
Keywords: Chloasma; Nutritional Supplements; Phytotherapy; Nutrients; Melatonin