Procyanidin B‐3, isolated from barley and identified as a hair‐growth stimulant, has the potential to counteract inhibitory regulation by TGF‐β1

In a study aimed at finding natural hair growth stimulants, researchers tested over 1000 plant extracts and found that barley extract significantly promoted hair epithelial cell growth by about 140% compared to controls. Through a series of chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) techniques, they isolated procyanidin B-3 and (+)-catechin from the active fractions of barley extract. Procyanidin B-3 was identified using mass spectrometry and NMR analyses and was found to have strong hair growth activity both in vitro and in vivo, while (+)-catechin did not. Further investigation revealed that procyanidin B-3 could counteract the inhibitory effect of TGF-β1, a known regulator of hair growth, on hair epithelial cell cultures. Thus, procyanidin B-3 not only promotes hair cell growth but also has the potential to neutralize growth inhibition by TGF-β1, suggesting its promise as a hair growth stimulant.