Hair growth-promoting effects of Sargassum glaucescens oligosaccharides extracts

Background: Brown algae have been used as food and traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years and it is known to contain a bioactive component - fucoidan. However, little is known about the effect of fucoidan on cell differentiation and proliferation, particularly in topical application. Given that, this study focused on investigating the effect of different extraction methods of fucoidans on the promotion of human hair growth ability. Methods: Fucoidans from Sargassum glaucescens were extracted by a combination of microwave-assisted high-pressure water or subcritical water. Different molecular weight fractions of fucoidan were separated. The effect of these fractions on the proliferation and hair growth-related genes expression on hair follicle dermal papilla cells (HFDPC) was investigated. Mice models and ex vivo hair follicle culture assays were used to determine the efficacy. Significant Findings: Sargassum glaucescens fucoidan extracts higher than 1 KDa molecular weight demonstrated hair growth-promoting ability. The oligo-fucoidan was more effective in enhancing hair follicle cell proliferation. The effects of fucoidans on the proliferation of HFPDC correlated with IGF-1 and LEF-1 gene expressions. Hair growth-promoting activity was observed in mice models after being treated with Sargassum glaucescens fucoidan extracts. Thus, fucoidan could be a potential topical medicine in alopecia treatment. (c) 2022 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Automated summary

The study investigated the effects of fucoidans extracted from Sargassum glaucescens on promoting human hair growth, finding that fucoidans with a molecular weight higher than 1 kDa demonstrated hair growth-promoting ability, especially oligo-fucoidans. The effects of fucoidans on HFPDC proliferation were correlated with gene expressions of IGF-1 and LEF-1, and hair growth-promoting activity was observed in mice models after treatment with Sargassum glaucescens fucoidan extracts, indicating the potential of fucoidan as a topical medicine for alopecia treatment.