Development and Evaluation of Polyherbal Ointment for Hair Growth Promoting Activity

The study from 2017 focused on the formulation and evaluation of a polyherbal ointment for promoting hair growth. The ointment was prepared using ethanolic extracts of Piper betle (leaves), Chrysanthemum indicum (flowers), Ficus benghalensis (roots), Ziziphus mauritiana (leaves), and Thymus vulgaris (leaves), incorporated into a hydrophilic USP base. Primary skin irritation tests were performed on rats, and the ointments were found to be safe, causing no erythema or edema. The ointments were applied topically on shaved skin of rats for 30 days, and hair length, hair density, and total protein estimations were carried out. The results showed that the polyherbal ointment significantly promoted hair growth compared to ointments with single extracts. The presence of flavonoids and tannins in the polyherbal ointment may be responsible for the hair growth promoting activity. The study concluded that the formulated ointment showed promise, and further studies were suggested to isolate the bioactive molecules responsible for hair growth promotion.