Correlation in Hair Growth and Antioxidant Activity of Some Himalayan Medicinal Plants

The study investigated the relationship between antioxidant activity and hair growth promotion using extracts from three Himalayan medicinal plants: Trigonella foenumgraecum, Trigonella corniculata, and Geranium wallichianum. Herbal formulations based on Aloe vera gel and plant extracts were applied to denuded areas of albino rats, with 2% minoxidil suspension serving as the standard for comparison over a 30-day period. The antioxidant activity was measured by the plants' ability to scavenge DPPH free radicals, compared to the activity of butylated hydroxy anisole (BHA). The results showed that Trigonella species had the best hair growth activity, with T. corniculata and T. foenumgraecum initiating hair growth in 6 days and showing 90.24% and 84.65% hair growth activity respectively, while G. wallichianum showed 35.62% activity. The study concluded that there is a correlation between the antioxidant and hair growth activities of these plants, with higher antioxidant activity associated with better hair growth promotion.