Background

Cudrania tricuspidata is a perennial plant, and Sargassum fusiforme is a brown seaweed with numerous potential benefits, including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities. However, the efficacies of C. tricuspidata and S. fusiforme on hair growth have not yet been elucidated. Therefore, the present study examined the effects of C. tricuspidata and S. fusiforme extracts on hair growth in C57BL/6 mice.

Results

ImageJ demonstrated that drinking and skin application of C. tricuspidata and/or S. fusiforme extracts significantly increased the hair growth rate in the dorsal skin of C57BL/6 mice compared to the control group. Histological analysis confirmed that drinking and skin application of C. tricuspidata and/or S. fusiforme extracts for 21 days significantly increased the length of hair follicles on the dorsal skin of treated C57BL/6 mice compared to that in the control mice. RNA sequencing analysis revealed that hair growth cycle-related factors (anagen factors) such as Catenin Beta 1 (Ctnnb1) and platelet-derived growth factor (Pdgf) were upregulated (> twofold) only by C. tricuspidate extracts, whereas vascular endothelial growth factor (Vegf) and Wnts were upregulated by both C. tricuspidata or S. fusiforme applications in treated mice (compared to the control mice). In addition, oncostatin M (Osm, a catagen-telogen factor) was downregulated (< 0.5 fold) by C. tricuspidata when administered via both skin and drinking mode in treated mice compared to that in control mice.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that C. tricuspidata and/or S. fusiforme extracts show potential hair growth efficacy by upregulating anagen factor genes, including β-catenin, Pdgf, Vegf, and Wnts, and downregulating catagen-telogen factor genes, including Osm, in C57BL/6 mice. The findings suggest that C. tricuspidata and/or S. fusiforme extracts are potential drug candidates to treat alopecia.