Protective Effect of Ellagic Acid on Testosterone-induced Alopecia in Rats

Abstract

Background and Objective: Alopecia or hair loss is a common dermatological problem that transcends demographic, economic, racial, gender and age barriers. There are a number of factors that affect hair growth. Amongst them, the key factors that affect hair growth are growth hormones and cytokines which are produced by the body. Ellagic Acid (EA) is a polyphenol found in a certain fruits and nuts like; grapes, pomegranate, walnuts, cranberries, raspberries, strawberries, Morinda citrifolia and Terminalia chebula. It is one of the most promising chemopreventive agents. The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of EA on hair growth promoting activity in rats. Materials and Methods: The EA was studied for hair growth promoting activity in rats. Testosterone (T) administered sub-cutaneously (s.c.) for 21 days used to induce androgenetic alopecia (AGA). Minoxidil solution was applied topically served as standard. Body weight, histological parameter and hormonal parameter were estimated on post-induction day and at the end of the treatment day to observed hair growth property of EA. Results: The administration of testosterone leads to an increase in body weight, muscle tightness and hair loss. The EA was able to exert re-growth of hair by bringing back parameters to normal and improvement in the quantification of hair growth in rats. Conclusion: The EA showed a gainful outcome in testosterone-induced androgenetic alopecia in male rats. Its effects were comparable to the standard drug Minoxidil solution which is most widely used for hair growth in patients with androgenetic alopecia.