Ginsenosides in Panax Ginseng Extract Promote Anagen Transition by Suppressing BMP4 Expression and Promote Human Hair Growth by Stimulating Follicle-Cell Proliferation

The study found that Panax ginseng extract (PGE) and its three major ginsenoside components, Rb1, Rg1, and Re, promote human hair growth and the transition from the telogen (resting) phase to the anagen (growth) phase of the hair cycle. This is achieved by stimulating the proliferation of human dermal papilla cells (DPCs) and human outer root sheath cells (ORSCs), and suppressing the expression of bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) in DPCs. The study also found that PGE stimulated hair-shaft growth. However, these compounds did not affect the expression of fibroblast growth factor 18 (FGF18) in ORSCs and Noggin in DPCs. The findings suggest that PGE and the ginsenosides Rb1, Rg1, and Re could be useful for promoting human hair growth.