High school students and researchers from Perm Polytechnic University have created a new medicine based on oil from local deposits. The development has shown high efficiency in the fight against inflammation and skin diseases, not inferior to modern pharmaceutical drugs.
Oil has long been used not only as fuel, but also as a valuable raw material for medicine. The deposits of the city of Naftalan in Azerbaijan, which have been developed since the 19th century, are especially popular. Naftalan oil contains unique components – naphthenes, aromatic hydrocarbons and sulfur-containing compounds, which have anti-inflammatory, analgesic and wound-healing effects. Preparations based on it are used to treat eczema, psoriasis, poorly healing wounds and joint diseases.
However, Naftalan oil reserves are gradually being depleted, which forces scientists to look for alternative sources with similar properties.
High school students of the Polytechnic School of PNIPU, under the guidance of scientists from the Perm Polytechnic University, examined oil from local deposits and discovered that it also has medicinal properties. During the work, light fractions (gasolines, kerosenes and gases) were removed from the raw materials using a distillation column, and then purified from resins and asphaltenes, which can cause allergies.
The resulting purified petroleum component was mixed with medical petroleum jelly at a concentration of 10%, creating an ointment base.
The anti-inflammatory effect of the ointment was tested on laboratory rats. They applied the composition to the skin, and then artificially caused inflammation using carrageenan. The results showed that Perm ointment significantly reduces swelling and inflammation, and is comparable in effectiveness to the well-known drug Levosin.
Nowadays, many oil-based medicinal ointments are expensive (up to 655 rubles) and are not always available in small towns and villages. The new development of Perm scientists may become a cheaper and more effective replacement.
The development is undergoing preclinical testing, after which it is planned to launch production. Scientists are also preparing materials for patenting the drug. In the future, other medicines may be created based on Perm oil.
This discovery confirms that oil is not only a fuel, but also a promising raw material for medicine that can improve the quality of life of millions of people.
Source: naked-science.ru
Photo: Purification of the fraction from resins and asphaltenes / © Alina Yulaeva, press service of PNIPU
