Plants and plant products

Abstract

Plants are a common and likely the largest source of contact dermatitis. Phytochemicals, although belonging to various families, may be common to phylogenetically different plant families and induce different clinical types of dermatitis through different mechanisms. Irritant contact dermatitis is frequent, due to calcium oxalate (Amaryllidaceae, Araceae, Liliaceae), isothiocyanates (Brassicaceae), esters of phorbol or of ingenol (Euphorbiaceae), or protoanemonin (Ranunculaceae). Phototoxicity due to furanocoumarins- psoralens (Apiaceae, Moraceae, Rutaceae), or furoquinolines (Rutaceae), underlies Oppenheim dermatitis and variants. Allergic contact dermatitis can be due to many phytoallergens like alpha-methylene gamma-butyrolactone (Alstroemeriaceae and Liliaceae), close allergens from the Anacardiaceae, Ginkgoaceae, and Proteaceae families, falcarinol (Araliaceae, Apiaceae) or sesquiterpene lactones (Asteraceae, Jubulaceae, Lauraceae, etc.). © 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.