Quercetin Promotes Production of Secondary Hair Follicle Stem Cells in Cashmere Goat: A Mechanistic Study

This study demonstrates that quercetin significantly enhances the proliferation and reduces the apoptosis of secondary hair follicle stem cells (SHFSCs) in Arbas cashmere goats. Treatment with 10 μg/mL quercetin for 48 hours increased the proportion of S-phase cells and upregulated key proliferation markers like PCNA and TERT. Quercetin also inhibited apoptosis by modulating the expression of apoptosis-related genes and activating the PI3K–Akt, Wnt, and TGF-β signaling pathways. These findings suggest that quercetin could be a valuable agent for boosting cashmere production by promoting SHFSC proliferation and survival.