Proliferating Effect of Extracts from Woods and Fungi on Rat Vibrissa Dermal Papilla Cells

In the 2001 study, researchers screened 366 extracts from woods and fungi for their effects on the proliferation of rat vibrissa dermal papilla cells, which are key to hair growth. They discovered that three extracts—ethyl acetate extract of the fungus YL161 at 1 ppm, ethyl acetate extract of Agaricus blazei at 0.1 ppm, and methanol extract of Camptotheca cuminata bark at 0.1 ppm—showed more significant growth-promoting activity than pentadecanoic acid, a known positive control. These results indicate that the active components in these extracts could be beneficial for hair growth stimulation and provide insights into the mechanisms of hair growth and alopecia, suggesting their potential as hair growth-promoting agents.