• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.11
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• pp.1269-1275
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• 2017

Tenebrio molitor samples were investigated as novel biomaterials and sources of food in several recent studies. However, the insects' effects on hair growth were not sufficiently researched. To develop novel and natural materials for preventing alopecia and promoting hair growth, this study investigated the antioxidant activities and hair-growth promotion effects of TMEs. To determine the antioxidant activities, the TMEs' DPPH radical- and nitrite-scavenging activities were examined. To determine hair-growth promotion effects, proliferations of human dermal papilla cells (DPCs) and the murine fibroblast cell line NIH3T3 were evaluated by using an MTS assay. In addition, estimations were made for cell viabilities against cell death induced by dihydrotesterone (DHT) in DPCs and inhibitory effects against potassium channel blocking induced by tolbutamide (TBM) in NIH3T3 cells. The DPPH radical scavenging activity was 81.17%, and the nitrite scavenging activity was 43.69%; the activities were similar to the activities of blueberry extracts. Moreover, the TMEs promoted the proliferation of human DPCs and NIH3T3 cells, which were concentrated dependently. The TMEs prevented not only DHT-induced DPC cytotoxicity but also TBM's action as a potassium channel blocker in NIH3T3 cells. The results suggested that TME could be used as a functional therapeutic alopecia reagent, to prevent hair loss and to promote hair growth.