• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.18-32
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• 2022

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the safety, effects on proliferation of hair papilla cells, and anti-inflammatory and antioxidant mechanisms of Artemisia sieversiana Ehrh. ex Willd. (AS) extract. Methods: Safety tests through purity testing, acute toxicity tests, and repeated toxicity tests were performed using AS extract (ASE) which had been dried for over two years. Cell culture and proliferation tests were conducted; VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor), bFGF (basic fibroblast growth factor), and EGF (epidermal growth factor) and protein expression analyses were performed for mechanistic evaluation; and inhibitory effects of ASE on the RNA expression of testosterone, 5𝛼-reductase, and aromatase was assessed. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant efficacy of ASE was confirmed by measuring the levels of nitric oxide, inflammatory mediators (TNF-𝛼 and PGE2), inflammatory cytokines (IL-1𝛽, IL-6, and IL-8), and chemokine MCP-1. Results: The safety of ASE was confirmed. The mechanism of cell proliferation in human hair follicle dermal papilla cells involved the promotion of VEGF, bFGF, and EGF expression. ASE decreased mRNA expression of testosterone, 5𝛼-reductase, and aromatase-1 in a concentration-dependent manner. PGE2 and TNF-𝛼 production by inflammatory mediators was also significantly decreased in a concentration-dependent manner, and inflammatory cytokine and chemokine expression was inhibited. Conclusions: ASE is suggested to promote papillary cell growth at the cellular level, to suppress expression of various enzymes involved in hair cycle and cell death, and to inhibit hair loss through anti-androgen, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.168-177
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• 2020

Background: Ginseng has been widely used as a health-promoting tonic. Gintonin present in ginseng acts as a lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) receptor ligand that activates six LPA receptor subtypes. The LPA6 subtype plays a key role in normal hair growth, and mutations in the LPA6 receptor impair normal human hair growth. Currently, human hair loss and alopecia are concerning issues that affect peoples' social and day-to-day lives. Objective: We investigated the in vitro and in vivo effects of a gintonin-enriched fraction (GEF) on mouse hair growth. Methods: Human hair follicle dermal papilla cells (HFDPCs) and six-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were used. The mice were divided into the four groups: control, 1% minoxidil, 0.75% GEF, and 1.5% GEF. The dorsal hair was removed to synchronize the telogen phase. Each group was treated topically, once a day, for 15 days. We analyzed hair growth activity and histological changes. Results: GEF induced transient [Ca²⁺]_i, which stimulated HFDPC proliferation and caused 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation in a concentration-dependent manner. GEF-mediated HFDPC proliferation was blocked by the LPA receptor antagonist and Ca²⁺ chelator. HFDPC treatment with GEF stimulated vascular endothelial growth factor release. Topical application of GEF and minoxidil promoted hair growth in a dose-dependent manner. Histological analysis showed that GEF and minoxidil increased the number of hair follicles and hair weight. Conclusion: Topical application of GEF promotes mouse hair growth through HFDPC proliferation. GEF could be one of the main components of ginseng that promote hair growth and could be used to treat human alopecia.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.31-37
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• 2023

In this study, we investigated the efficacy of Celtis choseniana Nakai (C. choseniana) as complementary herbal medicine to ameliorate androgenic alopecia (AGA). The effects of C. choseniana on AGA were evaluated using testosterone propionate-induced AGA mouse model and dihydrotestosterone-treated human hair follicle dermal papilla cells. In vivo, C. choseniana treatment deactivated androgen signaling by reducing the concentration of serum dihydrotestosterone level and expressions of 5α-reductase 2 and androgen receptor. Next, C. choseniana treatment increased the hair regrowth rate. Histological studies demonstrated that C. choseniana induced the anagen phase in testosterone propionate-induced AGA mouse model. Cellular proliferation was promoted by C. choseniana treatment via increasing the expression of proliferation factors, such as proliferating cell nuclear antigen and cyclin D1. Furthermore, C. choseniana treatment increased the expression of proteins related to the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. In addition, dickkopf-1, a Wnt inhibitor, was downregulated with C. choseniana treatment. Likewise, C. choseniana treatment promoted cellular proliferation in vitro. This study demonstrated the inhibitory effect of C. choseniana on androgen-induced AGA. Moreover, C. choseniana induced activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, resulting in prolonged anagen and cellular proliferation. Therefore, we suggest that C. choseniana can be used as a therapeutic agent to alleviate AGA.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.37-48
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• 2024

Songla (Usnea diffracta Vain.) is one of the lichens belonging to the genus Usnea, and pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor and cardiovascular protection have been reported in previous studies, but its efficacy in skin and hair is not well known. In this study, the effect of Usnea diffracta extract (UDE) on anti-aging and dermal papilla cell proliferation was verified in vitro. As a result of the experiment, it was confirmed that the UDE significantly reduced the expression of MMP-1 and the activity of MAPKs (ERK, p38, JNK) and AP-1 (c-Fos, c-Jun), which were increased by UVA in HDFn. In addition, the UDE significantly increased the proliferation of HFDPC and significantly increased the mRNA expression of VEGF and KGF, which are hair growth factors. Accordingly, the phosphorylation of ERK/CREB involved in hair proliferation and expression of growth factors was increased in a concentration-dependent manner. The main component represented by the main peak was separated and purified using Prep LC by concentrating the UDE, which was confirmed as diffractaic acid through NMR and Mess analysis. Isolated diffractaic acid significantly reduced the expression of MMP-1 increased by UVA in HDFn and increased the proliferation of HFDPC in a concentration-dependent manner. The result suggest that UDE proved its usability as a natural cosmetic material with anti-aging and dermal papilla cell activation effects.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.345-350
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• 2018

This study examines the role of six species of microalgae, including Phaeodacylum tricrnutum (PT), Chaetoceros gracilis (CG), Nanochloris oculata (NO), Pavlova lutheri (PL), Chlorella ellipsoidae (CE), and Scendedemus obliquus (SO), on hair loss prevention and scalp improvement. To determine the effects of microalgae extracts on hair loss prevention and scalp improvement, antioxidant activity, cell proliferation in HaCaT cells and HFDPC cells, and the inhibition level of 5-alpha reductase activity were examined. In the study of antioxidant activity, the $EC_{50}$ values of DPPH anti-radical activities indicated that the SO, CG, and ST9 treatment groups demonstrate significant antioxidant activity. In the study of the hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, CG (6.6~42.1%), ST9 (26.0~44.0%), and SO (7.8~44.3%) demonstrated significant effects. Furthermore, SO promoted the proliferation of HaCaT cells and a human epidermal cell line during a 6-day treatment. In the study of the proliferation of HFDPC cells, a hair follicle dermal papilla cell line, CG, and SO significantly stimulated cell proliferation. Finally, PT, CG, and SO significantly inhibited 5-alpha reductase activity. These results suggest that among the six microalgae used in this study, CG and SO have antioxidant effects, induce cell proliferation, inhibit 5-alpha reductase activity, and can be used for hair loss prevention and scalp improvement.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.244-248
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• 2013

In order to investigate functional characterization of callus extracts of apple 'Hirosaki' for cosmetic materials, biological activities of its extracts including wrinkle improvement, hair growth, and anti-inflammatory effect were investigated. The callus extract showed similar activity with TGF-${\beta}$ used as positive control at 50 ${\mu}g/mL$ in the test of collagen synthesis, and increased 40% of proliferation of hair follicle dermal papilla cells. Especially, in case of anti-inflammatory effect, callus extract inhibited about 50% of COX-2 expression which was known as response for intermediating inflammation, and about 70% of eotaxin-1 production which was increased by atopy dermatitis.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.148-154
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• 2017

Crinum asiaticum var. japonicum and its active component, norgalanthamine have been reported to have hair growth-promoting effect via the proliferation of dermal papilla cells. In this study, we investigated the other mechanisms of C. asiaticum extract var. japonicum and norgalanthamine on the hair growth. The C. asiaticum var. japonicum extract inhibited $5{\alpha}$-reductase activity by 16%, which converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a main cause of androgenetic alopecia, whereas the C. asiaticum var. japonicum extract didn't function as an opener of the $K_{ATP}$ channel. On the other hand, we examined whether norgalanthamine can inhibit transforming growth factor-${\beta}$ (TGF-${\beta}$) signal pathway, which is essential in the regression induction of hair growth. Norgalanthamine inhibited the phosphorylation of Smad2/3 on TGF-${\beta}1$-induced canonical pathway in human keratinocyte HaCaT cells. These results suggested that the C. asiaticum var. japonicum extract and norgalanthamine had the potential to influence hair growth through the inhibition of $5{\alpha}$-reductase activity and TGF-${\beta}1$-induced canonical pathway.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.779-784
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• 2019

Free radicals are known to inhibit hair vitality by damaging the cell membranes of the hair follicles. The purpose of this study was to determine the antioxidant activities and the capacity for hair loss prevention of extracts from Platycodon grandiflorum. We prepared butanol (BF) and water (WF) fractions from P. grandiflorum. DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities were measured to investigate the antioxidant activities of the fractions. Both fractions exhibited dose-dependent antioxidant activities for DPPH radical production, and BF and WF almost completely suppressed ABTS radical production when supplied at 10 and 100 mg/ml, respectively. We confirmed a skin regeneration effect by treating human HaCaT skin cells with a range of BF and WF concentrations for 24 and 48 hr. The extract treatments accelerated cell proliferation. We also assayed the capacity of BF and WF to suppress inflammation using RAW264.7 cells. BF dose-dependently suppressed nitrous oxide (NO) production. Treatment of human hair follicle dermal papilla cells (HFDPC) with BF and WF promoted cell proliferation after 24, 48, and 72 hr of treatment when supplied at 10, 50, 100, and $200{\mu}g/ml$. Taken together, these results confirm the possibility of using BF and WF extracts from P. grandiflorum in formulating hair loss prevention products.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.277-287
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• 2012

To develop new therapeutic materials to prevent hair loss and enhance hair growth, we developed a medicinal herbal complex extract (MHCE) using 23 herbs traditionally used in oriental medicine. Medicinal Herbal complex extract was consist of Angelica gigas Nakai, Psoralea corylifolia Linne, Biota orientalis Endlicher, and Eclipta prostrata Linne, Rehmannia glutinosa Liboschitz var. purpurea Makino, Ligustrum lucidum Aiton, Polygonum multiflorum Thunberg, and Sesamum indicum Linne, Sophora angustifolia Sieboldet Zuccarini, Angelica dahurica Benthamet Hooker, and Leonurus sibiricus Linne, Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, Prunus persica Batsch, Commiphora molmol Engler, Chrysanthemum indicum Linne, Boswellia carterii Birdwood, Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer, Cnidium officinale Makino, Albizia julibrissin Durazzini, and Corydalis ternata Nakai that have traditionally been used for treating hair loss, preventing gray hair, anti-inflammation, and blood circulation in oriental medicine. In addition, we examined the hair growth effect of MHCE in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, we evaluated the effects of MHCE on cultured HFDPC, HaCaT cells, and murine embryonal fibroblasts (NIH3T3 cells). Also, we evaluated the ability of MHCE to prevent gray hair on murine melanoma cells (B16F1 cells). The hair growth-promoting effect of MHCE in vitro was also observed in vivo using C57BL/6 mice. Our results showed that MHCE significantly increased the proliferation of HFDPC (175 % proliferation at $50{\mu}g/mL$), HaCaT cells (133 % proliferation at $20{\mu}g/mL$), and NIH3T3 cells (120 % proliferation at $50{\mu}g/mL$). MHCE also showed consistent melanogenesis in B16F1 cells (154 % melanin synthesis at $50{\mu}g/mL$). Moreover, MHCE showed potential for hair growth stimulation in C57BL/6 mice experiments (98 % hair growth area on 4 weeks). These results indicate that MHCE may be a good candidate for promotion of hair growth.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.255-263
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• 2021

Soybean extract is known to play an important role in preventing and treating diseases associated with aging, cancer, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. A recent has revealed that soybean extract has a potent effect on hair growth in in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies. Recently, it has been reported that their fermented extracts exhibit numerous and high efficacy, as compared to general extracts. However, the underlying mechanisms that induce hair growth after using fermented soybean extract are not well understood. The present study aimed to determine the effects of fermented Jeju soybean (FJS) extract on hair growth, with a focus on the underlying mechanisms similar to those of minoxidil. We conducted in vitro and ex vivo investigations and clinical studies. FJS extract enhanced dermal papilla cell proliferation, VEGF levels, and potassium channel opening. Moreover, it promoted human hair follicle elongation. These effects were comprehensively demonstrated in the clinical results, in which FJS extract-containing shampoo improved hair density after 24 weeks of utilization. Collectively, the results of this study demonstrate that FJS extract promotes hair growth and inhibits hair loss through a mechanism similar to that of minoxidil in hair follicles.