Method of treating skin virus infections

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The invention accordingly relates to a material which provides an antioxidant effect when applied to the skin, for use in a method of treatment of virus skin infections and of skin conditions resulting from such infections, said material being characterized by stability for an extended period of time under ambient temperature and pressure, at least in the dry state, and being selected from water soluble extracts prepared from plant tissue and fractions separable from said extracts by chromatography.
The antioxidant material may be prepared as described herein.
The invention also relates to a composition of matter for use in a method of treatment of virus skin infections and of skin conditions resulting from such infections, which comprises a stable antioxidant material as defined above, or which has been prepared by a process as described herein, together with an inert diluent or carrier which is adapted for application to the skin.
Such a composition of matter may be for example in the form of a gel, ointment, salve, hydrophilic cream, hydrophilic lotion, hydrophobic cream or hydrophobic lotion, or an aqueous solution, and may comprise as a further ingredient a local anaesthetic.
The invention additionally relates to use of a material for the manufacture of a medicament for therapeutic application in the treatment of skin virus diseases and of skin conditions resulting therefrom, the said material being as defined above.
The plant tissues from which the water soluble antioxidants may be obtained are for example the leaves of Trifolium (clover), Medicago (Medicago sativa: alfalfa), Zea (Zea mays: corn), Nicotiana (Nicotiana tabacum: tobacco), Pennisetum, Allium (onion and garlic), Algae and tissues of plants of the order Chenopodiales.
The order Chenopodiales comprises the plant families Aizoaceae, Amaranthaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Nyctaginaceae, Phytolaccaeae and Portulacaceae; presently preferred families are Aizoaceae and Chenopodiaceae.
Other suitable plants may also be utilized