Monoterpenoid Loliolide Regulates Hair Follicle Inductivity of Human Dermal Papilla Cells by Activating the Akt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway

The study investigated the effects of loliolide, a monoterpenoid compound, on hair growth using a 3D dermal papilla (DP) spheroid model. It was found that low doses of loliolide increased the viability and size of DP spheroids, correlating with higher expression levels of hair growth-related factors such as VEGF, IGF-1, and KGF. Loliolide induced AKT phosphorylation, stabilizing β-catenin, which is crucial for the hair-inductive properties of DP cells. Additionally, loliolide enhanced the expression of DP signature genes and increased proliferation and expression of hair growth regulatory genes in keratinocytes. These findings suggested that loliolide could enhance hair growth inductivity through the AKT/β-catenin signaling pathway.