J. Cosmet. Sci., 64, 429–443 (November/December 2013) 429 Effects of Lycopersicon esculentum extract on hair growth and alopecia prevention JAE-SUK CHOI, SUNG KYU JUNG, MIN-HEE JEON, JIN-NAM MOON, WOI-SOOK MOON, YI-HWA JI, IN SOON CHOI, and SANG WOOK SON, RIS Center, IACF, Silla University, Busan 617-736, Republic of Korea (J.-S.C., I.S.C.), Department of Dermatology, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Ansan 425-701, Republic of Korea (S.K.J., Y.-H.J., S.W.S.), Department of R&D, Ecomine Co., Ltd, Busan 608-736, Republic of Korea (M.-H.J., J.-N.M., W.-S.M.), Department of Biological Science, Silla University, Busan 617-736, Republic of Korea (I.S.C.). Accepted for publication May 5, 2013. Synopsis To evaluate the potential hair growth–promoting activity and the expression of cell growth factors of Lyco- persicon esculentum extracts, each 3% (w/w) of ethyl acetate extract (EAE), and supercritical CO2 extract (SCE) of L. esculentum and isolated lycopene Tween 80 solution (LTS) and test hair tonic (THT) containing LTS were applied on the dorsal skin of C57BL/6 mice, once a day for 4 weeks. At week 4, LTS and THT exhibited hair growth–promoting potential similar to that of 3% minoxidil as a positive control (PC). Further, in the LTS group, a signifi cant increase of mRNA expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), keratinocyte growth factor, and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) was observed than PC, as well as the negative control (NC). In the THT group, increases in IGF-1 and decrease in VEGF and transforming growth factor-β expres- sion were signifi cant over the NC. In a histological examination in the THT group, the induction of anagen stage of hair follicles was faster than that of NC. In the Draize skin irritation study for THT, no observable edema or erythema was observed on all four sectors in the back skin after exposure for 24 or 72 h for any rab- bit. Therefore, this study provides reasonable evidence that L. esculentum extracts promote hair growth and suggests that applications could be found in hair loss treatments without skin irritation at moderate doses. INTRODUCTION Normal hair loss from the scalp is about 50–60 hairs a day and does not have a noticeable effect on appearance, but an excess loss (100 hairs) will result in baldness. The term alo- pecia is used to describe human hair loss, sometimes to the point of baldness. There are various forms of alopecia, the most common being androgenetic alopecia (AGA), which affects millions of men and women (1). Address all correspondence to Sang Wook Son at skin4u@korea.ac.kr and In Soon Choi at ischoi@silla.ac.kr. J.-S.C. and S.K.J. contributed equally to this work.

JOURNAL OF COSMETIC SCIENCE 430 AGA is hereditary and androgen-dependent, progressive thinning of the scalp hair that follows a defi ned pattern. The principal elements of the androgen metabolism involving androgen-dependent processes are predominantly due to the binding of dihydrotestoster- one (DHT) to the androgen receptor (AR). DHT-dependent cell functions depend on the availability of weak androgens, their conversion to more potent androgens via the action of 5α-reductase, low enzymatic activity of androgen inactivating enzymes, and function- ally active AR present in high numbers. The predisposed scalp exhibits high levels of DHT and increased expression of the AR. Conversion of testosterone to DHT within the dermal papilla plays a central role, whereas androgen-regulated factors deriving from the dermal papilla cells are believed to infl uence the growth of other components of the hair follicle (2,3). It was known that normal hair growth occurs at the level of the hair follicle in a 3-phased cycle: anagen (active growth phase), catagen (transition and involution phase), and telo- gen (resting phase) (4,5). Various cytokines and growth factors are also involved in the regulation of hair morphogenesis and growth. Catagen has been suggested to occur as a consequence of decreased expression of an antigen-maintaining factor, such as insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), basic fi broblast growth factor (bFGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and increased expression of cytokines such as transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and interleukin-1 (IL-1) promotes apoptosis (6,7). Two U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved pharmacotherapies, minoxidil and fi nasteride, are available for the treatment of AGA. Topical minoxidil solution 2% and 5% (Rogaine for men and women OTC, Pharmacia Corp., Peapack, NJ) has been shown to stimulate new hair growth and help prevent further hair loss in affected areas in both men and women with AGA (8,9), but the specifi c mechanism of the action is un- known. Propecia (fi nasteride Merck Co., Rahway, NJ) has recently been approved by the FDA in the United States for men with AGA. Propecia is a synthetic azosteroid and a potent and highly selective antagonist. Being a noncompetitive antagonist of 5α-reductase type 2, it binds irreversibly to the enzyme and inhibits the conversion of testosterone to DHT. In previous clinical trials in the treatment of men with male pattern hair loss, fi nasteride, 1 mg daily slowed the progression of hair loss and increased hair growth in treated men compared with those in the control group (10). Generally, minoxidil is well tolerated with long-term daily use. The side effects of minoxidil such as skin irritation (11,12), dizziness, tachycardia (11), and contact dermatitis (13) are uncommon. Few adverse side effects of fi nasteride were reported in the 5-year data. In the fi nasteride group, loss of libido was reported in 1.9% and erectile dysfunction in 1.4% in the fi rst year. The placebo groups reported these same events with frequencies of 1.3% and 0.6%, respectively. These events appeared to resolve on cessation of the treat- ment, and in some cases, during continued treatment (14). Testosterone 5α-reductase catalyzes the conversion of testosterone to an active androgen, dihydrotetosterone, which binds to the ARs and shows various hormonal actions. An excessive accumulation of dihydrotetosterone is recognized as the leading cause of male pattern baldness. Therefore, treatment with testosterone 5α-reductase inhibitor would be expected to lead to a decrease of dihydrotetosterone concentration in tissues, and may be useful for the protection of depilation.