Herbal Oils Research Articles

Cytotoxic Screening and Enhanced Anticancer Activity of Lippia alba and Clinopodium nepeta Essential Oils-Loaded Biocompatible Lipid Nanoparticles against Lung and Colon Cancer Cells.

Plant and herbal essential oils (EOs) offer a wide range of pharmacological actions that include anticancer effects. Here, we evaluated the cytotoxic activity of EO from Lippia alba (chemotype linalool), L. alba (chemotype dihydrocarvone, LaDEO), Clinopodium nepeta (L.) Kuntze (CnEO), Eucalyptus globulus, Origanum × paniculatum, Mentha × piperita, Mentha arvensis L., and Rosmarinus officinalis L. against human lung (A549) and colon (HCT-116) cancer cells. The cells were treated with increasing EO concentrations (0-500 µL/L) for 24 h, and cytotoxic activity was assessed. LaDEO and CnEO were the most potent EOs evaluated (IC50 range, 145-275 µL/L). The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry method was used to determine their composition. Considering EO limitations as therapeutic agents (poor water solubility, volatilization, and oxidation), we evaluated whether LaDEO and CnEO encapsulation into solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN/EO) enhanced their anticancer activity. Highly stable spherical SLN/LaDEO and SLN/CnEO SLN/EO were obtained, with a mean diameter of 140-150 nm, narrow size dispersion, and Z potential around -5mV. EO encapsulation strongly increased their anticancer activity, particularly in A549 cells exposed to SLN/CnEO (IC50 = 66 µL/L CnEO). The physicochemical characterization, biosafety, and anticancer mechanisms of SLN/CnEO were also evaluated in A549 cells. SLN/CnEO containing 97 ± 1% CnEO was highly stable for up to 6 months. An increased in vitro CnEO release from SLN at an acidic pH (endolysosomal compartment) was observed. SLN/CnEO proved to be safe against blood components and non-toxic for normal WI-38 cells at therapeutic concentrations. SLN/CnEO substantially enhanced A549 cell death and cell migration inhibition compared with free CnEO.

Formulation and evaluation of hair fall control herbal hair oil

Formulation and evaluation of hair fall control herbal hair oil

Analysis of Total Phenol Levels in Moringa Extract (Moringa Oliefera Lamk.) in Vegetable Oil

Vegetable oil extract moringa leaf (Moringa Oleifera Lamk.) is an herbal oil that has the potential as a medicine. The study aimed to determine the content of secondary metabolites through photochemical tests and the total phenol content of Moringa leaf extract in extra virgin olive oil and virgin coconut oil. The extraction method used is hot maceration with various doses of Moringa leaves. The best amount is used by extraction with variations in temperature and heating time. The functional groups of herbal oils were identified using an FTIR spectrophotometer. Phytochemical test results showed that the vegetable oil extract of Moringa leaf contains secondary metabolites in the form of flavonoids, phenolics, terpenoids, alkaloids, steroids, and tannins. The highest total phenol content in Moringa leaf extract in virgin olive oil at a concentration of 40%, extraction temperature 50°C with a heating time of 2 hours with a total phenol content value of 15.78% GAE (Gallic Acid Equivalent). The results of the FTIR interpretation show that herbal oils have O-H, C-H, C=O, C=C aromatic, C-O, and aliphatic C-H functional groups.

Usage of Essential Oils of Natural Herb as Food Preservatives

One of the most issues that face the food production industries is the manufacture of healthy food products without synthetic preservatives due to the fact that artificial antibacterial agents and chemical additives could have serious detrimental impacts on people's life quality. Essential oils (EOs) extracted from various plant origins have received huge attention because of the possible health benefits. Essential oils are complicated combinations made up of numerous distinct chemicals isolated using various methods. Such chemicals demonstrated substantial biological functions like antioxidant and antibacterial activity through a variety of mechanisms, and they are less dangerous and pose no health problems to humans. In this article, we underline the importance of Essential oils such as major ingredients and sources, antibacterial activities, and potential uses in the food sector. The use of natural additives is becoming more common; nonetheless, they may have negative effects on organoleptic properties. As a result, more research is needed to adjust the dosages used to effectively stop the growth of microbes is still needed.

Citronellol-Based Long-Lasting Antibacterial Cotton Fabrics without Bacterial Resistance.

Antibacterial cotton helps prevent the growth and spread of harmful microorganisms, reduces the risk of infection, and has a prolonged service life by reducing bacterial degradation. However, most antibacterial agents used are toxic to humans and the environment. Citronellol-poly(N,N-dimethyl ethyl methacrylate) (CD), a highly effective antibacterial polymer, is synthesized from natural herbal essential oils (EOs). CD exhibited efficient, rapid bactericidal activity against Gram-positive, Gram-negative, and drug-resistant bacteria. Citronellol's environmental benignity makes CDs less hemolytic. Notably, negligible drug resistance developed after 15 bacterial subcultures. The CD-treated cotton fabric displayed better antibacterial performance than AAA-grade antibacterial fabric, even after repeated washing. This study extends the practical application of EOs to antibacterial surfaces and fabrics, which is promising for use in personal care products and medical settings.

<i>In vivo</i> anthelmintic efficacy of some plant species of the family Compositae Cisece

The purpose of the researchis to study the anthelmintic efficacy of decoctions of various parts of plants, as well as granules and essential oils of plants of the speciesİnula heleniumL.,Cichorium intybusL.,Arctium lappaL. andHelichrysum araxiniumTaxt ex Kirp of the family Compositae Cisece in the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan.Materials and methods. Herbal preparations were tested on sheep spontaneously infected with gastrointestinal Strongylates. Decoctions of various parts of plants, as well as prepared granules and herbal essential oils were administered to the experimental animals in different doses. Sheep of the control group did not receive the drug. After the administration of the drugs, the condition of the animals was recorded. The drug efficacy was recorded at 5 days based on coproovoscopy results.Results and discussion. The decoctions of the tested plant species were found to have a high anthelmintic effect against nematodes parasitizing in the digestive tract of sheep. The efficacy of the decoctions prepared from roots and aerial parts of plants of the speciesI. heleniumwas 72–78%, the decoction efficacy from roots and aerial parts of the speciesC. Intybuswas 70–76%, the decoction efficacy from roots and aerial parts of the speciesA. lappawas 69–71%, and the decoction efficacy from the aerial parts part of plants of the speciesH. araxiniumwas 74.6%. The anthelmintic effect of essential oils in the experiment was higher and reached 86.7 % fromI. helenium, 85.1% fromC. intybus, 80.8 % fromA. lappa, and 83.5% fromH. araxinium. The anthelmintic efficacy of the decoction fromI. heleniummixed withC. intybusprepared from the aerial parts of plants was 72.4%, the decoction efficacy fromH. araxiniummixed withA. lappawas 65.1, and the efficacy of the flour mixture from the roots ofI. helenium,A. lappaandC. intybuswas 71.9%.

Livelihood enhancement and resource use efficiency under lemongrass intercropping with food crops

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus L.) is an important multi-harvest aromatic grass that grows mainly in tropical and subtropical parts of the world. Wider plant geometry of lemongrass provides a better opportunity for intercropping at the crop commencement stage. Intercropping will restore and maximize resource use efficiency thereby it enhances productivity. A field experiment conducted during 2018–2019 at CSIR-CIMAP, Research Centre, Bengaluru with thirteen treatments: sole crop of lemongrass, pigeon pea, okra, finger millet, field bean, cowpea, soybean and intercropping of these crop species with lemongrass was followed under randomized block design with three replications. The results revealed that cowpea intercropping with lemongrass recorded higher herb yield (30.36 t ha−1) and oil yield (364.32 kg ha−1). Whereas, field bean intercropping performed better in terms of equivalent yield of lemongrass oil. Among different competition indices worked out to know the performance of the intercropping system, the indices to access biological efficiency such as LER (1.33), ATER (1.12), LUE (189.22%), LEC (0.33), SPI (38.27), percent land saved (24.87) recorded highest in lemongrass + okra intercropping system. Values of CR (1.57) and A (0.32) indicate the dominance of pigeon pea over lemongrass. Economic indices RVT (1.28), RNR (1.26), cost-benefit ratio (2.39) and net returns (5173 US $) were found highest in field bean which was closely followed by the okra intercropping system. Thus, intercropping of field bean or okra with lemongrass has the potential to increase the profit of the farmer with greater resource use efficiency.

Formulation and Evaluation of Polyherbal Lotus Oil

Herbal formulations always have attracted considerable attention because of their good activity and comparatively lesser or nil side effects with synthetic drugs. The objective of present study involves preparation of herbal hair oil using amla, hibiscus, bhringraj, methi and its evaluation for increase in hair growth activity. Each drug was tested for their hair growth activity in a concentration range for 1-10% separately. Based on these results mixture of crude drugs fruits of Embelica officinalis, flowers of Hibiscus rosa sinensis, leaves of Bacopa monnieri and seeds of Trigonella techniques (direct boiling, paste and cloth method) and were tested for hair growth activity. The oil of different concentrations were characterized for proximate analysis including moisture content, total ash, acid insoluble ash, water soluble ash, water insoluble ash, sulphated ash. The formulations were also subjected to chromatographic determination and chemical tests to determine the presence of active constituents in the drugs. But looking towards the formulation viscosity the maximum concentration of combined drug was found to be 30% at their maximum level. The formulation containing 7.5% of each drug used for the study and showed excellent hair growth activity with standard (2% minoxidil ethanolic solution) by an enlargement of follicular size and prolongation of the anagen phase. It holds the promise of potent herbal alternative for minoxidil. Excellent results of hair growth were seen in formulation prepared by boiling method of oils preparation technique.

Anthelmintic effects of peppermint (Mentha piperita), lemon (Citrus limon), and tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) essential oils against Monogenean parasite (Dactylogyrus sp.) on carp (Cyprinus carpio).

Dactylogyrus sp. (Monogenea) is one of the most dangerous pathogens causing parasitic infections in carp (Cyprinus carpio) and other freshwater fish. Due to the adverse effects of conventional chemical treatments on the environment and fish, the use of herbal products in aquaculture against various diseases has increased. In the present study, anthelmintic effects of peppermint (Mentha piperita), lemon (Citrus limon), and tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) essential oils against Dactylogyrus sp. found on the gills of carp were studied using in vitro and in vivo experiments. In in vitro experiments, 1, 2.5, 5, and 10 μl/ml concentrations of these essential oils were tested on the parasites and cumulative mortalities were observed to reach 100 % after treatment with peppermint, lemon, and tea tree essential oils of 1 μl/ml concentration in approximately 15, 10 and 2 min, respectively. The in vitro experiments demonstrated that the cumulative mortality of the parasites increased with essential oil concentration and exposure duration. As the concentration of essential oil used increased, the observed mean time to death of parasites decreased. In in vivo experiments, median effective concentrations (EC50) as assessed by in vitro tests for peppermint and lemon essential oils in 5 min exposure and EC50 concentration for tea tree essential oil in 2 min exposure was applied on fish as a single bath and there was a significant decrease in the mean parasite intensities (p<0.05). Antiparasitic efficacies of peppermint, lemon, and tea tree essential oils were determined as 28.23 %, 30.95 %, and 35.31 %, respectively. The tea tree oil was the most effective and peppermint oil was the least effective in both in vitro and in vivo experiments. All three herbal essential oils tested in this study have weak antiparasitic potential against monogenean infections in fish.

Comparison of in vitro Killing Effect of Thai Herbal Essential Oils, Tea Tree Oil, and Metronidazole 0.75% versus Ivermectin 1% on Demodex folliculorum.

Abnormal proliferation of Demodex mites causes a skin disorder called demodicosis and has been linked to rosacea. The development of alternative therapy against Demodex mites is currently required. The ability to kill Demodex mites of Thai herbal essential oils has never been explored. This study aimed to study and compare the in vitro killing effect of Thai herbal essential oils, tea tree oil, and metronidazole 0.75% with ivermectin 1% on D. folliculorum. D. folliculorum mites were collected from the wastes of diagnostic standardized skin surface biopsy samples of demodicosis and rosacea patients for the trial. The microscopic evaluation started immediately after the mites were exposed to immersion oil (negative control), Thai herbal essential oils, tea tree oil, metronidazole 0.75%, and ivermectin 1% (positive control). The survival times of ten mites from each test agent were compared. The efficacy of Thai herbal essential oils and other test agents can be arranged in order as follows: lemongrass oil > sweet basil oil > clove oil > tea tree oil > lesser galangal oil > ginger oil, kaffir lime oil, peppermint oil > citronella oil > galangal oil > cajeput oil > ivermectin 1% > metronidazole 0.75%. This current study demonstrated the in vitro killing efficacy on D. folliculorum: Thai herbal essential oils, Tea tree oil > ivermectin 1% > metronidazole 0.75%. Thai herbal essential oils have the potential to be an adjuvant or alternative therapy against Demodex mites. Further in vivo studies are necessary to determine the treatment efficacy and side effects.

The Effect of a Combined Topical Herbal Cream on the Incidence and Severity of Striae Gravidarum in Primiparous Women: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background: Striae gravidarum, which occurs in most pregnancies, is unpleasant for women, and its treatment is costly. A preventive measure for this condition is applying herbal oils to maintain the skin's elasticity. The current study investigated the effect of a topical combined herbal cream on the occurrence and severity of striae gravidarum in primiparous women. Methods: In this triple-blind randomized clinical trial, 90 primiparous women in their first trimester of pregnancy, attending healthcare centres in Mashhad, Iran, were randomly allocated into two groups of herbal cream and placebo, from which 54 completed the study. The intervention group received 0.3 g of the cream, topically, composed of Calendula (Pot marigold), Anthemis nobilis (Chamomile), Pelargonium Graveolens (Rose Geranium), Theobroma oil (Cocoa Butter) and Soybean, twice a day for three days a week from 14-16 to 27-30 weeks of gestation and the placebo group received a moisturizing cream. At the gestational age of 38-40 weeks, the incidence and severity of striae on the abdominal skin were evaluated using the Atwal numerical scoring system and digital photography. Results: There was a significant difference between the prevalence of striae in the intervention and placebo group (43.3% vs 87.5%) (P&lt;0.0001). Also, a significant difference was seen between the two groups in terms of the severity of the striae (P &lt; 0.001). In the intervention group, the severity of striae in 86.7%, 13.3%, and 0% of the cases was mild, moderate, and severe, respectively, whereas, in the placebo group, it was occurred as mild, moderate, and severe in 37.5%, 58.3%, and 4.2% of the cases. Conclusion: Considering the effect of topically applied herbal cream, it is recommended that health care providers suggest pregnant women to use such herbal creams to avoid striae gravidarum development. Clinical Trial Registration Number: IRCT20190305042927

Geraniol protects hippocampal CA1 neurons and improves functional outcomes in global model of stroke in rats.

Geraniol (GE), an acyclic monoterpene, is a chief constituent of essential oils of herbs and fruits. It possesses diverse pharmacological actions like antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and anti-parkinson. However, its neuroprotective potential in stroke is yet to be explored at large. The present study evaluated the neuroprotective potential of GE against the global model of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-injury in rats. Bilateral common carotid artery (BCCA) occlusion for 30 min followed by 7 days of reperfusion caused varied biochemical/enzymatic alterations viz. increase in levels of lipid peroxidation (LPO), nitric oxide (NO), xanthine oxidase (XO), and decrease in the levels of cerebroprotectives like superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), total thiols, and glutathione (GSH). GE-pretreatment markedly reversed these changes and restored the levels of protective enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants near to normal compared to I/R group. Besides, GE treatment showed marked improvement in anxiety-related behavior and neuronal deficits in animals subjected to I/R injury. Moreover, 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC)-stained rat brain coronal sections and histopathological studies revealed neuronal protection against I/R-injury, as evidenced by a reduction in infarct area (%) and an increase in hippocampal CA1 neuronal density in the GE-treated groups. The results of this study revealed that GE exhibited potential neuroprotective activity by reducing oxidative stress and infarction area, and protecting hippocampal CA1 neurons against I/R-injury in the global stroke model in rats.

Formulation and evaluation of Herbal Mosquito Repellent in two forms used in folklore practise

Mosquito borne diseases including malaria, dengue, filariasis, and chikungunya cause serious health hazards across the world. Several mosquito repellents are currently in the market; however, most of these are not efficacious and eco-friendly. Recently, considerable research progress has been made to develop more pleasant, effective, and non-toxic to other species using herbal oils and formulations. Also, these herbal compositions are easily available and economic. Although, this existing herbal composition has been demonstrated to be effective and non-toxic to humans, they are more volatile and short lifespan of these compounds has necessitated further development of plant originated pesticides as alternative to chemical pesticides. In the current study, we have developed the various herbal formulations and showed that these formulations are effective mosquito repellents. The survey further showed that these repellents are pleasant with minimum allergic reactions.

Potential Effects of Geraniol on Cancer and Inflammation-Related Diseases: A Review of the Recent Research Findings.

Geraniol (GNL), a natural monoterpene, is found in many essential oils of fruits, vegetables, and herbs, including lavender, citronella, lemongrass, and other medicinal and aromatic plants. GNL is commonly used by the cosmetic and food industries and has shown a wide spectrum of pharmacological activities including anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and neuroprotective activities. It represents a potential anti-inflammatory agent and a promising cancer chemopreventive agent, as it has been found to be effective against a broad range of cancers, including colon, prostate, breast, lung, skin, kidney, liver, and pancreatic cancer. Moreover, GNL scavenges free radicals and preserves the activity of antioxidant enzymes. In addition, GNL induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, modulates multiple molecular targets, including p53 and STAT3, activates caspases, and modulates inflammation via transcriptional regulation. In the present study, different modes of action are described for GNL's activity against cancer and inflammatory diseases. This compound protects various antioxidant enzymes, such as catalase, glutathione-S-transferase, and glutathione peroxidase. Experiments using allergic encephalomyelitis, diabetes, asthma, and carcinogenesis models showed that GNL treatment had beneficial effects with low toxicity. GNL has been shown to be effective in animal models and tumor cell lines, but there have not been any clinical studies carried out for it. The aim of the present review is to provide updated data on the potential effects of GNL on cancer and inflammation, and to enhance our understanding of molecular targets, involved pathways, and the possible use of GNL for clinical studies and therapeutic purposes in the treatment of cancer and inflammation-related diseases.

Analisis Kadar Kurkumin pada Herbal Oil Kunyit Ekstrak Virgin Coconut Oil dengan Metode Ultrasonik dan Maserasi

Vegetable oil theoretically and experimentally has proven its potential as an alternative solvent in the extraction of natural materials. Turmeric infused with virgin coconut oil (VCO) is a way to take advantage of the active compounds from the herbs and the oil itself. This study aims to determine the ability of the VCO solvent in extracting curcumin compounds from turmeric with the addition of tween 80 surfactants. The extraction method used was maceration at 60℃ and an ultrasonic frequency of 40 kHz for 15 minutes. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) was used for qualitative analysis of each herbal oil extract using chloroform: methanol (95:5) eluent and FTIR spectrophotometer to identify functional groups. The highest curcumin content was found in herbal oil with tween 80 of 2 ml, namely 31 ppm in maceration extraction and 260.7 ppm in ultrasonic extraction. Identification of curcumin functional groups in herbal oils showed absorption patterns of O-H, C=O, aromatic C=C, C-O-C, and C-H.

The Effect of Heavy Metal Contaminants in Some Herbal Cosmetics on Cardiovascular Risk Indices of Rabbits

Background: Cosmetics are ornamental products used in the improvement of the physical outlook of either the face or skin. These may be synthetic or natural depending on the source of production. Herbal cosmetics have gained prominence in our daily lives due to the belief that they are natural. Evidence has shown that they contain heavy metals which may alter biochemical parameters in the cause of usage. This study aims to evaluate the effects of heavy metals on the serum lipid profile and cardiovascular risk indices of rabbits.&#x0D; Materials and Methods: Three herbal oil namely All things natural (Emi herbal oil), Kakiva (Kakiva herbal oil), and Amal (botanical herbal oil) as well as forty–eight rabbits were purchased from a market in an animal house in Port Harcourt respectively. The rabbits were exposed to the oil for 30, 60, and 90 days and sacrificed for blood samples. The lipid profile and cardiovascular risk indices were evaluated using standard methods. Data were analyzed using a statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) to compare means.&#x0D; Results: There were no significant differences in the lipid profile and cardiovascular risk indices in 30 days. However, there was significantly higher total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein but lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol after exposure in 60 days and 90 days.&#x0D; Conclusion: It is, therefore, pertinent to conclude that herbal cosmetics contain heavy metals which may alter the lipid profile and expose users to cardiovascular risk.

Standardization and Quality Control Analysis of Marichadi tailam: An Ayurvedic Formulation

The Ayurvedic medicines are having great therapeutic application due to their natural holistic way of treatment of the disease. To ensure the effectiveness of the medicine standardization of the drug essential. Ayurvedic tailam is an important group of formulations used for treatment of various types of diseases. The principle of using tailam is better absorption of active ingredients by skin when applied through a lipophilic vehicle like vegetable oils. Marichadi Tailam is a herbal oil used for treatment of skin diseases such as eczema and dermatitis. In the present study, an attempt was made to develop and validate a HPTLC method for quantitative determination piperine in the Marichadi coconut oil and its standardization. The HTPLC separation was performed on precoated silica gel 60 F254 aluminum plate (10 × 10cm, 250μm thickness) using toluene:ethyl acetate:diethyl amine (7:2:1) as a mobile phase. The detection and quantification was performed at 340nm. The formulation contains 2.35% of piperine. Linearity studies indicated piperine in the linear ranges, while recovery studies revealed 99.32% (w/w) of piperine. The developed HPTLC method resolved and quantified piperine effectively, so it could be used as a simple reliable method for QC of polyherbal formulations.

Usage of Essential Oils of Natural Herbs as Food Preservatives

One of the most issues that face the food production industries is the manufacture of healthy food products without synthetic preservatives due to the fact that artificial antibacterial agents and chemical additives could have serious detrimental impacts on people's life quality. Essential oils (EOs) extracted from various plant origins have received huge attention because of the possible health benefits. Essential oils are complicated combinations made up of numerous distinct chemicals isolated using various methods. Such chemicals demonstrated substantial biological functions like antioxidant and antibacterial activity through a variety of mechanisms, and they are less dangerous and pose no health problems to humans. In this article, we underline the importance of Essential oils such as major ingredients and sources, antibacterial activities, and potential uses in the food sector. The use of natural additives is becoming more common; nonetheless, they may have negative effects on organoleptic properties. As a result, more research is needed to adjust the dosages used to effectively stop the growth of microbes is still needed.&#x0D; &#x0D;

In-vivo studies to determine Hair Growth Potential of Poly Herbal Medicated Hair Oil in Female Swiss Albino Mice

Hair loss is one of biggest problem of today’s human life throughout World. Alopecia, Baldness and hair loss are commonly found in the men as well as in female. Commonly available medicated hair oils in market for the treatment of hair disease are made up with mineral oil, which is proved to be carcinogenic in nature if applied for longer period of time. Hair plays a vital role in the personality of human and for their cure we use lots of cosmetic products. The fading (pigmentation problem), dandruff, alopecia (loss of hair) is the major problem associated with hairs. An Ayurveda is Indian traditional system of Medicine having major treatment across globe. The aim of study is to develop a poly herbal hair oil (PHO) formulation using Azadirachta indica, Rosa sinensis, Muraya koenigii, Lagenaria siceraria, Bacopa monieri, Lawsonia inermis, Eclipta alba, Embelica officinalis, coconut oil and Til oil, for better growth of hair and diminution in loss of hair (alopecia). The oil was prepared according to Ayurvedic Formulary of India and was standardized according to Protocol for Testing Ayurvedic, Siddha and Unani Medicines, Government of India. The physico-chemical evaluation was carried out for medicated hair oil. The pharmacological evaluations were performed through Pre-clinical Animal studies for qualitative, quantitative and mean- hair length studies.The statistical results of the study have demonstrated that 5% PHO possessed potent action on hair growth in the Female Swiss albino Mice animal’s model investigates as well as these provide a rationale in favor of its uses inside traditionally drug in favor of utilization in Baldness and other hair growth disorders.

Protective Activity against Oxidative Stress in Dermal Papillae with Extracted Herbal Essential Oils

Dermal papilla cells (DPCs) are a rich source of nutrients and secrete multiple growth factors that can affect hair growth. As oxidative stress leads to hair loss in humans, it is considered to be one of the factors that can impair the function of DPCs. Herb-derived phytochemicals exhibit potent antioxidant activities; therefore, this study investigated whether a set of essential oils (lavender, lemongrass, rosemary, and chamomile oils) promote the hair-growth activity of DPCs. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) increased markedly in ultraviolet B-irradiated DPCs (50 mJ/cm2) and were efficiently blocked by essential oils. Essential oils upregulated the mRNA and protein levels of phase II enzymes (detoxifying and antioxidant), including heme oxygenase-1, NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase-1, and glutathione S-transferase pi. They also upregulated and activated nuclear factor E2-related factor 2, an essential transcription factor for phase II enzymes. Regarding biomarkers for hair growth, essential oils significantly increased vascular endothelial cell growth factor and insulin-like growth factor-1 mRNA levels. In conclusion, phytochemicals in essential oils enhance hair growth through ROS-scavenging activity in DPCs.