A new study conducted at Nagoya University in Japan revealed that luteolin, a natural antioxidant found in vegetables, may prevent hair graying by maintaining the activity of pigment cells and supporting healthy signaling pathways.
Luteolin is a dietary supplement that has been available for some time and is already marketed as a topical and oral supplement, making it a potential candidate for anti-gray hair care in the future. Natural sources of luteolin include vegetables such as celery, carrots, broccoli, green peppers, and parsley, which are full of antioxidants that are good for health.
The research team, led by Professor Masashi Kato and Dr. Takumi Kagawa, discovered that luteolin prevents hair graying by maintaining endothelin expression and the activity of pigment cells, showing promise in cosmetology and trichology. The study, published in the journal Antioxidants, demonstrated that mice treated with luteolin maintained their black fur color, while their littermates that did not receive luteolin began to experience graying.
"The results were surprising. While we expected various antioxidants to show an effect against hair graying, only luteolin showed significant results," said Professor Kato. The younger appearance of the mice seemed related to luteolin's positive influence on proteins called endothelins, which help maintain melanocytes—the cells that produce melanin, the pigment that gives color to skin and hair.
In the study, the researchers examined the effect of three antioxidants—luteolin, hesperetin, and diosmetin—on mice specially bred to gray their fur similarly to human hair. Only luteolin showed effects; hesperetin and diosmetin did not, despite the researchers' expectation that the antioxidants might also have anti-graying properties, according to the Daily Mail.
Mice that received luteolin maintained their black fur color longer than untreated mice, regardless of whether luteolin was administered externally or internally. "Interestingly, luteolin had limited effects on hair cycles, indicating that its primary impact is on pigmentation rather than hair growth or shedding," concluded Professor Kato.
Treatment with luteolin helped maintain the expression of endothelin and its receptors, supporting healthy signaling pathways that prevent the decline in melanocyte activity usually associated with graying. Dr. Kagawa believes it is worth investigating whether the effects of luteolin also address other age-related changes, including alopecia and balding.
Although the experiments were conducted on mice, the researchers noted that the process of graying in humans is similar to that in mice, presenting opportunities for applying these findings in humans. Building on these results, Dr. Kagawa envisions broader applications for luteolin in age-related research, according to Science Daily.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.