The Effects of Biotin Supplementation on Serum and Liver Tissue Biotinidase Enzyme Activity and Alopecia in Rats Treated with Valproic Acid

    September 2008 in “ Brain & development ”
    Mutluay Arslan, Sebahattin Vurucu, Necati Balamtekin, Bülent Ünay, Rıdvan Akın, İsmail Kurt, Okan Ozcan
    TLDR Biotin supplements increased biotin levels but did not significantly prevent hair loss in rats on valproic acid.
    The study investigated the effects of biotin supplementation on serum and liver tissue biotinidase enzyme activity (BEA) and alopecia in rats treated with valproic acid (VPA). Four groups of 15 rats each were used: a control group, a VPA group, and two VPA groups supplemented with different doses of biotin (6 mg/kg/d and 0.6 mg/kg/d). After 60 days, alopecia was observed in 40% of the VPA group, 13.3% of both biotin-supplemented groups, and none in the control group. Although biotin supplementation increased serum biotin levels, it did not significantly reduce alopecia compared to the VPA group. VPA treatment reduced serum and liver tissue BEA, suggesting that VPA impairs biotin utilization, potentially leading to alopecia, which might be mitigated by biotin supplementation. Further studies were recommended to determine the effective and safe biotin dose.
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