RESUMO
Asian herbal medicines have been known for decades, and some have been used to treat atopic dermatitis (AD). This chronic and persistent inflammatory skin condition causes severe morbidity and negatively impacts the quality of life. In numerous trials, traditional Chinese medicines have demonstrated clinical efficacy for AD. However, there is no well-documented summary of the wide variety of Asian herbal medicines used in treating AD. We aimed to systematically summarize the use of Asian herbal medicine in AD. An English-language literature search was performed in three electronic medical databases: PubMed, Cochrane Library, and EBSCOhost using keywords [("atopic dermatitis" OR "atopic eczema") AND ("traditional" OR "herbal")] and limited to references published between January 2015 and December 2022. The literature included newborns, infants, children, adolescents, and adults. The review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension to determine the main criteria. The content and inclusiveness of the search were filtered using relevant terms (MeSH/Emtree), keywords, titles, and abstracts. Thirteen articles (12 randomized clinical trial + 1 clinical trial) reported a variety of herbal medicine compounds to treat AD with various efficacy. Most studies reported significant improvement when comparing the herbal medicine with a placebo, but only 1 study reported substantial improvement of SCORAD compared to corticosteroids. Asian herbal medicines have been studied and may be used as an alternative treatment in treating AD with fewer adverse effects. However, its role did not change the position of standard treatment in treating atopic dermatitis.
RESUMO
Background: Wood biomass from forests is a renewable energy source that has the potential to support global green development. However, the process of traditional firewood extraction and its contribution to the energy supply varies and is usually underrecognized, especially in the local context. Therefore, this study aimed to describe the traditional use and estimate the supply and demand for wood bioenergy from small-scale privately owned forests (SSPF) in Ciamis Regency, West Java Province, Indonesia. Methods: The sample location was determined in 3 subdistricts, namely, Sukamantri, Ciamis, and Banjaranyar, which represent the northern, central, and southern regions, respectively. The data were collected through observations on stands, interviews with respondents, key informants from users and business actors of wood in the SSPF, and observations on the processes taking place in the flow and use of biomaterials and firewoods. Results and conclusion: Firewood is a secondary product that cannot be separated from the main products along SSPF's chain of production based on the integration of raw material sources, linkages between actors, and volume sharing. The local knowledge and wisdom entanglements included the identification of the type and quality of firewood, distribution of resource allocation for household and industrial needs, and sharing of firewood for household needs. Although wood biomass contributes to the fulfillment of households and industrial needs of 8.51 million m3, there are indications of an imbalance between the potential supply and the demand for firewood due to its high intensity of use in industries. Therefore, multistakeholder and cross-regional support are needed to achieve sustainable SSPF management and fulfill the self-sufficiency of wood energy. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13705-023-00383-7.