ERK1/2 Pathway Involvement in Enhancement of Fatty Acids from Phaeodactylum Tricornutum Extract on Hair Follicle Cell Proliferation

The document summarizes a study that explored the impact of Phaeodactylum tricornutum extract (PTE), which is high in polyunsaturated fatty acids, on the proliferation of human hair follicle cells. The study found that PTE at concentrations of 1 µg/mL to 2 µg/mL significantly increased the proliferation of human hair follicle outer root sheath cells (HFORSC) and human hair follicle germinal matrix cells (HFGMC), while higher concentrations reduced proliferation. PTE also raised the levels of certain keratins important for hair structure and had varying effects on melanin production and tyrosinase activity in hair epithelial melanocytes (HEM). The ERK1/2 pathway was identified as a key factor in the PTE-induced proliferation of hair follicle cells. The study suggests that PTE could be a potential natural product for hair care applications due to its ability to enhance hair follicle cell growth. The number of participants or samples used in the study was not mentioned in the summary.