Résumé:
Pistacia lentiscus L. is an evergreen shrub of 1 to 3 m high belonging to the family of Anacardiaceae. It is a traditional remedy which has been used by many ancient civilizations like Greeks and Egyptians. All parts of these plants have medicinal properties. However, the medicinal properties of vegetable oil extracted from fruits are particularly well known in North Africa, especially in the eastern region of Algeria to Tunisia. The inhabitants of these regions have used this oil for sore throat remedy, for treating skin burns and respiratory allergies.
The present work is a scientifc contribution to study some pharmacological and toxicological effects of this oil which kept our attention by its reputation in traditional medicine. The test of the Eye irritation / corrosion, showed that this oil is only slightly irritating to rabbit eye.
Similarly, the test of acute toxicity: Dermal irritation/corrosion allowed us to classify PLFO as slightly irritating to the skin, either intact or abraded. Repeated dermal toxicity test showed that this oil produced no edema, but a slight erythema was observed after the second week of application. This phenomenon is growing and regressing alternately until the end of the experiment, the latter does not exceed the rating of 2. One third of rabbits presented a phenomenon of local sensitization with skin thickening, which could reach 100% of the skin of the untreated regions. This phenomenon had been perfectly reversible and the skin has found its normal texture in a few days. As for the rectal route, the present oil was well tolerated. No anatomical or functional disturbance was observed in pathological examinations and histology. The biochemical parameters showed a significant decrease in AST and ALT
enzymes finding a positive impact of this oil on liver function. A significant increase in blood glucose, but still within the range of physiological norms, was recorded in suggesting a possible anti glycogenesis effect.
PLFO has also shown promising healing properties, this latter by reducing the inflammatory phase, stimulation of wound contraction and reducing the epithelization period.
The study concludes that Pistacia lentiscus fatty oil is effective for healing burns. It is tolerable in the short term, but may cause skin sensitization after prolonged use.
