Palm tocotrienol complex (EVNol SupraBio) is shown to induce hair follicle growth via protein expression of epidermal E-cadherin dependent beta-catenin — the key signalling molecule for inducing pluripotent stem cells in the adult skin.
In this study, male mice with a mutated leptin receptor were applied with either 5 mg/cm2 of a palm tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) (EVNol SupraBio — bioenhanced palm tocotrienol complex, supplied by ExcelVite) or a placebo on shaved dorsal skin three times a week for 21 days and the evaluation of hair growth was recorded by the colour of the dorsal skin.
The mechanism of palm TRF-induced hair growth, the dependency on the loss of E-cadherin and the activation of beta-catenin for hair follicle formation were examined by quantification of gene expressions, immunoprecipitation and immunoblots.
When compared with the placebo, palm TRF treated group showed a significantly increased number of anagen (cycle of growth) hair follicles, increased foetal characteristics of hair follicular development in the adult skin, increased epidermal keratinocyte proliferation and significantly decreased E-cadherin expression that was associated with high translocation of beta-catenin-Tf3, leading to upregulation of gene expressions of Oct4, Sox9, Klf4, c-Myc and Nanog skin-specific pluripotent factors that support hair follicular regeneration.
These factors are also known as the “Yamanaka Transcription Factors,” discovered by Dr Shinya Yamanaka, joint-recipient of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Prof. Yamanaka discovered that mature cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent.
The researchers concluded that palm TRF suppression of epidermal E-cadherin induced beta-catenin and nuclear translocation is the novel pathway that leads to the expression of pluripotent factors and subsequently promotes anagen hair cycling in adult skin.
“What we have shown is that Palm TRF can induce hair folliculogenesis, which means that it can enrich the skin stem cell reserves. This novel epidermal pathway of hair follicular regeneration can have widespread impact on skin function including skin ageing and repair,” says Prof. Chandan Sen, the lead researcher at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
Prior to the above discovery, researchers from University Science Malaysia had reported and patented the unique benefits of tocotrienols (EVNol SupraBio) in supporting hair growth in subjects with on-going hair loss.
“We are thrilled with this new discovery, especially this novel pathway that affirmed our previous clinical findings for EVNol SupraBio in hair growth (US Patent 7,211,274). Taken together, this latest study and previous published papers explain the mechanism as to how EVNol SupraBio may help in promoting hair growth in subjects experiencing hair loss,” says Bryan See, Business Development Manager, ExcelVite.
