Hair, beyond its aesthetic significance, plays crucial roles in thermoregulation, physical protection, and social interaction. Hair disorders, including various forms of alopecia, can negatively impact an individual's health and quality of life. While conventional treatments like minoxidil and finasteride exist, their side effects have spurred interest in natural products as alternative or complementary therapies for hair loss. This article delves into the potential of natural products, particularly plant-derived biochemicals, in promoting hair growth and maintaining hair follicle health.
Understanding Hair Loss and Hair Growth
Alopecia, characterized by decreased hair density, can stem from various underlying causes, including systemic diseases, genetic factors, and autoimmune disorders. The hair growth cycle, involving anagen (growth), catagen (regression), telogen (rest), and exogen (shedding) phases, is regulated by stimulatory and inhibitory factors. Disruptions in this cycle can lead to different types of alopecia, such as androgenetic alopecia (pattern hair loss), alopecia areata (autoimmune-related hair loss), and telogen effluvium (temporary hair shedding).
The Promise of Natural Products
Natural products have a long history of use in traditional medicine and have gained attention for their potential to address hair loss with fewer side effects compared to conventional drugs. These products, often derived from plants, contain a variety of bioactive compounds, including polyphenols, flavonoids, terpenoids, and fatty acids, which can support hair follicle health.
How Natural Products Promote Hair Growth
Several studies have explored the mechanisms by which natural products can stimulate hair growth. These mechanisms often involve modulating growth factors and cytokines that play critical roles in the hair growth cycle.
Growth Factors and Hair Follicle Development
Growth factors like fibroblast growth factor (FGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), keratinocyte growth factor (KGF), insulin-like growth factor (IGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) promote hair growth, while transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) acts as a suppressor.
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VEGF: Secreted by dermal papilla cells (DPCs), VEGF promotes the formation of new blood vessels around hair follicles, which is essential for hair growth. Studies have shown that VEGF expression is often decreased in hair follicles affected by alopecia.
IGF-1: This growth factor influences hair follicle development and tissue renewal, preventing follicles from entering the catagen phase (regression).
FGF Family: Basic FGF (FGF-2) and KGF-2 (FGF-10) stimulate hair follicle growth. KGF, in particular, mediates the growth, development, and differentiation of hair follicles.
HGF: This growth factor stimulates follicle growth and elongation.
Specific Examples of Natural Products and Their Effects
Numerous plant extracts and their constituents have demonstrated hair-promoting effects by influencing the expression of these crucial growth factors.
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Sinapic Acid: This compound, found in various plants, exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects. It has been shown to increase VEGF and IGF-1 expression and promote the proliferation of human hair follicle-derived dermal papilla cells (hHFDPCs).
Icariin: Derived from Epimedium brevicornum Maxim, icariin possesses testosterone-mimetic properties. It increases IGF-1 secretion in vibrissae follicles and upregulates IGF-1 mRNA and protein levels in DPCs.
Geranium sibiricum Extract: This extract has been used as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory substance. It increases HGF and VEGF expression and decreases TGF-β1 expression.
Oleuropein: An olive constituent with antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties, oleuropein upregulates IGF-1, KGF, HGF, and VEGF mRNA expression.
Caffeine: This widely consumed stimulant increases IGF-1 expression and decreases TGF-β2 expression in human outer sheath keratinocytes.
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Carthamus tinctorius L. Extract (CTE): Derived from Safflower, CTE decreases 5α-reductase activity and promotes hair growth. It increases VEGF and KGF mRNA expression and decreases TGF-β1 expression.
Red Ginseng Oil (RGO): Extracted from red ginseng, RGO exhibits antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. It decreases the expression of TGF-β1.
Quercitrin: A flavonoid found in various plants, quercitrin increases bFGF, KGF, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-AA, and VEGF mRNA and protein levels in hDPCs.
Sophora flavescens Extract: This extract promotes hair growth by inducing mRNA expression of IGF-1 and KGF in cultured DP cells.
Shikimic Acid: This compound upregulates the mRNA expression of HGF, KGF, and VEGF in hDPCs.
Procyanidin (PC)-B3: This procyanidin dimer promotes hair growth and inhibits TGF-β1.
Ginsenoside Rb1: Present in Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, ginsenoside Rb1 induces VEGF-A and VEGF receptor 2 and attenuates TGF-β1 expression.
Nelumbinis Semen (NS) Extract: This extract improves oxidative stress on the scalp and increases VEGF and IGF-1 mRNA expression while decreasing TGF-β1 mRNA expression.
Chamaecyparis obtusa (CO) Extract: This extract increases IGF-1 mRNA expression and upregulates VEGF expression.
Polygonum multiflorum (PM) Extract: This extract increases IGFBP2, PDGF, and VEGF expression in cultured hDPCs.
Alnus sibirica Fisch. ex Turcz (AS) Extract: AS or oregonin (active substance in AS) treatment increased IGF-1 levels and decreased TGF-β1 levels in H2O2-induced stressed hDPCs.
Malva verticillate (MV) Seed Extract: This extract upregulates the mRNA expression of growth factors, including IGF-1, KGF, VEGF, and HGF.
Liposomal Honokiol: This extract from Magnolia officinalis inhibits TGF-β1 protein expression and phosphorylated SMAD2 expression in the outer root sheath (ORS).
Cytokine Modulation and Hair Growth
Cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interferon-γ (IFN-γ), can influence the hair cycle. IL-1α, IL-1β, and TNF-α are potent inducers of hair loss. Certain natural products can modulate cytokine levels to promote hair growth.
Angelica gigas Nakai (AGN) Extract: Treatment with decursin, a component of AGN, or AGN root extract, reduces the protein levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-1β) and increases anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4 and IL-13).
3-Deoxysappanchalcone (DSC): This compound from Caesalpinia sappan L. increases IL-6-mediated signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3 expression in hDPCs. It also inhibits the phosphorylation of STAT6 mediated by IL-4.
Mink Hair, Protein, and Hair Growth
The user provided some information about the effect of protein levels on mink hair growth. This study demonstrated that hair growth and hair properties in pelts are very dependent on the dietary protein and Met supply in the growing-furring period of minks. The results showed that when the dietary protein level reduced from 32% to 16%, body length, number and diameter of under hairs and guard hairs of minks declined, and pelt length and pelt weight of minks decreased significantly (p < 0.05). These parameters were similar between P32 and P24 with Met supplementation (p > 0.05). The hair follicle density of the winter coat was not influenced by the dietary protein levels and Met supplementation (p > 0.05). Low-protein diets content led to a reduction of hair follicle developing to next phase. It was documented that 24% crude protein of DM with Met supplementation during growing-furring period was sufficient for minks to express their genetic capacity to develop hair follicles and achieve the prime fur characteristics.
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