The use of herbal mixtures in the hair growth market has increased dramatically over the last decade. In this study, we investigated the hair growth-promoting activity of CARI ONE, a mixture of medicinal plants and mushrooms, in telogenic 6-week-old C57BL/6N mice. CARI ONE promoted hair growth through stimulation of the telogen to anagen transition. Histomorphometry analysis data indicated that topical application of CARI ONE induced an earlier anagen phase and prolonged the mature anagen phase, and also increased the number and size of hair follicles (HFs) as compared to either the control or 1% minoxidil-treated group. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed an earlier induction of β-catenin and Trp-1 protein in the HFs of the CARI ONE-treated group compared to that in the control group or 1% minoxidil-treated group. In vitro, CARI ONE promoted the proliferation of dermal papilla cells and resulted in increased melanin content in B16F10 cells in a dose-dependent manner without affecting cell viability. These results suggest that CARI ONE promotes hair growth through induction of the anagen phase in resting HFs.
Keywords: CARI ONE; anagen; dermal papilla cells (DPCs); melanogenesis; β-catenin.