Hair Growth Effect Through Activation of Wnt Pathway by Grateloupia Elliptica

The 2016 study investigated the hair growth-promoting effect of Grateloupia elliptica, a type of seaweed, both in vitro and in vivo. The extract of G. elliptica was found to significantly increase the hair-fiber lengths of isolated rat vibrissa follicles and accelerated the telogen-anagen transition in C57BL/6 mice. The molecular mechanisms behind this effect were explored, revealing that the G. elliptica extract activated the wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, known to regulate hair follicle development and hair growth. This activation was achieved through an increase in β-catenin and phospho-GSK3β. Additionally, the extract increased the level of cyclin E and CDK2, while decreasing the level of p27kip1. These results suggest that G. elliptica extract may induce hair growth by promoting the proliferation of dermal papilla cells (DPCs) via cell-cycle progression and the activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling.