Hair Growth-Promoting Activities of Glycosaminoglycans Extracted from the Tunics of Ascidian (Halocynthia Roretzi)
March 2022
in “
Polymers
”
TLDR Substances from Ascidian tunics might help treat hair loss as effectively as Minoxidil.
The study investigated the hair growth-promoting effects of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) extracted from the tunics of Ascidian (Halocynthia roretzi). Three fractions of GAGs (F1, F2, and F3) were extracted, with F2 and F3 showing high contents of galactose and N-acetylglucosamine. F3 demonstrated the highest proliferation activity on human follicle dermal papilla (HFDP) cells, which are crucial for hair growth. A mixture of F2 and F3 showed peak activities for five days and had a higher inhibition effect on dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone causing hair loss, than Minoxidil. When applied to mice hair for 28 days, 10 mg of the mixed samples resulted in a hair growth effect similar to Minoxidil. This suggests that GAGs from ascidian tunics could potentially be used in treatments for hair loss.