Neurotrophic Effects of Silibinin on Differentiation of Hair Follicle Stem Cells to Neurons

The study investigated the neurotrophic effects of silibinin on the differentiation of hair follicle stem cells into neurons. Hair follicle stem cells from the bulge area of rat whiskers were cultured and exposed to various concentrations of silibinin. It was found that a concentration of 0.5 μg/ml of silibinin significantly promoted the differentiation of these stem cells into neurons, as indicated by the expression of the β III tubulin marker. However, concentrations of 1 μg/ml or higher were toxic and inhibited cell growth, while concentrations below 0.1 μg/ml had no effect. The combination of silibinin with neurotrophin-3 further enhanced differentiation.