Protective Effects of Zizyphus Jujuba and Fermented Zizyphus Jujuba from Free Radicals and Hair Loss

Nine years ago, a study was conducted to investigate the antioxidative and hair growth-promoting activities of Zizyphus jujuba (Zj) and fermented Zj with various strains including Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The study found that Sac. cerevisiae-fermented Zj (Zj-Y) had stronger scavenging activity against free radicals and a higher total polyphenol content than non-fermented Zj and other fermented Zj. This indicated that fermentation of Zj by Sac. cerevisiae elevated antioxidative activity. In an alopecia model in C57B/6N mice, the hair growth activities of Zj and Zj-Y were investigated. The results showed that the regrowth speed of hair was in decreasing order of minoxidil (MXD)> Zj-Y> Zj> EtOH. The topical application of MXD and Zj-Y in mice promoted hair regrowth and prevented hair loss compared to the control group. The study concluded that Zj-Y is a promising treatment for alopecia.