Development and Evaluation of a Novel Fish-Derived Protein Peptide Conditioner Formulated with Pneumatophorus japonicus Heads Peptides

Abstract

Given the unique advantage of hair conditioners formulated with marine-derived proteins and their hydrolysates in terms of green, effective, sustainable, and environmentally friendly. This study presents a novel fish-derived protein peptide-based hair conditioner that featuring Pneumatophorus japonicus heads peptides (PHP). Results demonstrate that the PHP conditioner exhibits favorable sensory properties, improves the surface morphology and structure of damaged hair, reduce the degree of fragmentation and roughness, improve the gloss and make hair smoother. PHP penetrates into the hair shaft, interacting with hair fiber keratin to enhance the integrity and stability of the α-conformation of hair keratin. Furthermore, the PHP conditioner treatment increased total amino acid content by 4.98% and hydrophobic amino acid content by 2.67%, approaching the levels observed in virgin hair. Therefore, the PHP conditioner effectively permeates the surface and interior of hair fibers, filling voids and ameliorating changes in both the microstructural and compositional aspects of the hair. These improvements surpass those observed with a commercially available wheat protein conditioner. Overall, the PHP conditioner effectively repairs damaged hair, offering a new strategy for the development of innovative natural hair care products.