Hair-Loss Preventing Effect of Grateloupia Elliptica

In 2012, a study investigated the effects of Grateloupia elliptica, a type of red algae, on hair loss prevention. The study found that the extract of G. elliptica significantly inhibited the activity of 5α-reductase, an enzyme that converts testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone known to cause hair loss. The extract also promoted the proliferation of dermal papilla cells, crucial for hair growth, by up to 169.5% at a concentration of 100 μg/ml, a greater increase than that induced by minoxidil, a common hair growth treatment. Additionally, the extract increased the production of PGE2, a hormone-like compound that can stimulate hair growth, in a dose-dependent manner. It also showed anti-inflammatory activity and inhibited the growth of Pityrosporum ovale, a yeast found in dandruff, which could potentially prevent hair loss. The study concluded that G. elliptica extract could potentially be used as a treatment for hair loss and other hair diseases associated with P. ovale.