Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Hair Growth Promotant Activity of Petroleum Ether Root Extract of Glycyrrhiza Glabra L (Fabaceae) in Female Rats

Sukirti Upadhyay¹ , Ashoke K Ghosh¹, Vijender Singh²

¹College of Pharmacy, IFTM, Moradabad-244001 (U P); ²Aimil Pharmaceuticals (India) Ltd, New Delhi-110008, India.

For correspondence:- Sukirti Upadhyay Email: sukirtiupadhyay@gmail.com Tel:+919410478954

Received: 18 November 2011 Accepted: 27 July 2012 Published: 18 October 2012

Citation: Upadhyay S, Ghosh AK, Singh V. Hair Growth Promotant Activity of Petroleum Ether Root Extract of Glycyrrhiza Glabra L (Fabaceae) in Female Rats. Trop J Pharm Res 2012; 11(5):753-758 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v11i5.8

© 2012 The authors.
This is an Open Access article that uses a funding model which does not charge readers or their institutions for access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0) and the Budapest Open Access Initiative (http://www.budapestopenaccessinitiative.org/read), which permit unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited..

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the effect of Glycyrrhiza glabra root extract on hair growth in female Wistar rats.

Methods: Female Wistar rats were used for the hair growth promotion studies. They were divided into three groups(n = 6) and their dorsal skin was completely denuded to completely remove hair. Paraffin oil (control), 2 % minoxidil solution (reference) or petroleum ether (60 – 80 ⁰C) root extract of G. glabra (2 %), was applied to the denuded skin once daily for 30 days. During this period, they were observed visually for hair growth and thereafter skin biopsy was taken for evaluation of follicular density and cyclic phases of hair growth.

Results: Animals treated with petroleum ether extract of G. glabra roots showed longer hair than those treated with either minoxidil or control. Furthermore, the time (5 – 13 days) for commencement of hair growth and to reach complete hair growth was least in extract-treated animals, followed by those treated with minoxidil (6 - 19 days). A maximum of 76 % of hair follicles were in anagenic stage (active growth phase of hair) in extract-treated animals, compared to 66 and 45 % in minoxidil-treated and control groups, respectively.

Conclusion: This study indicates that the petroleum ether extract of G. glabra roots has potentials as a hair growth promoting agent for females.

Keywords: Hair growth promotant, G. glabra, Minoxidil