A Platform for Determining Medicinal Plants with Targeted 17β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Modulation for Possible Hair Loss Prevention

February 2024 in “ Cosmetics ”

Suhyeon Park, Neha Kaushik, Geunjeong Lee, Youngju Sohn, Hyehyun Hong, Krishna K. Shrestha, Ru An, Young Kum Park, Ih‐Seop Chang, June-Hyun Kim

TLDR The conclusion is that new plant-based treatments for hair loss may work by targeting certain enzymes.

The study investigated the potential of 18 medicinal plant extracts to prevent hair loss by targeting the enzymes 17β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase (17β-HSD) and 3β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase (3β-HSD). Extracts from Sophora flavescens Ait., Urtica dioica L., Puerariae Flos, and Ginkgo biloba L. showed significant inhibition of these enzymes and promoted cell proliferation in human dermal papilla cells. In a clinical trial with 48 participants, the test group using these extracts experienced significant improvements in hair root volume, hair elasticity, scalp soothing, and sebum reduction after 4 weeks, with no adverse reactions reported. The findings suggest these plant extracts could be a natural and effective alternative for hair loss prevention.

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