South Korean researchers have found that a common Asian plant grown on high-tech smart farms can significantly improve hair thickness, shine and elasticity, thus bringing potential relief to millions of diseases suffering from androgenic hair loss, the most common form of hair loss.
The breakthrough comes from an unlikely source: Justicia Procumbens, a traditional medicinal plant that thrives in controlled agricultural environments.
The Korean Food Research Institute (KFRI) collaborated with smart agriculture company Wooree Green Science to find excerpts from farming plants can produce measurable hair health improvements after 24 weeks of supplementation. Clinical trial participants showed increased hair diameter (+3.7%), gloss (+6.9%) and elasticity (+12.3%) compared to those who received the placebo.
Smart agriculture fits hair science
This study represents a significant shift in the way functional food ingredients are developed and procured. Traditional methods rely on wild-harvested plants that face challenges of climate change, supply chain disruptions and rising costs.
“This project not only demonstrates the therapeutic potential of individual plant-derived compounds, but also demonstrates the feasibility of smart agriculture as a sustainable production model for the functional food industry,” explains KFRI principal investigator Dr Chang-Hwa Jung.
The main findings of the comprehensive research include:
- Significant improvements in hair diameter, shine and elasticity after 24 weeks
- Prevent testosterone-induced hair damage in laboratory studies
- Activation of cellular pathways is crucial for hair growth and regeneration
- No adverse effects were detected in blood tests, blood pressure or weight
The study involved laboratory and animal studies before conducting human clinical trials, providing multi-layered evidence for the effectiveness of the extract.
Targeting hair loss at the cell level
Unlike conventional hair loss treatments that usually focus on blocking hormones, this plant extract appears to function by activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, a crucial cellular mechanism that promotes hair follicle regeneration and growth. This pathway naturally decreases with age and hormone changes, resulting in progressive thinning of hair.
Laboratory studies have shown that the extract stimulates the production of key growth factors, including VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) and FGF10 (fibroblast growth factor 10), which are both crucial for healthy development. The extract also promotes the proliferation of skin papillary cells, i.e. specialized cells at the base of hair follicles that control the hair growth cycle.
The researchers determined that 4-Cafroylquinic acid (4-CQA) is the main active compound responsible for these effects. This naturally occurring antioxidant demonstrates the ability to prolong the Anagen phase of hair follicles while preventing damage from testosterone, such as testosterone.
Solve billions of dollars in problems
For Korean researchers, the timing couldn’t be better. The country’s hair care market is worth more than 4 trillion Korean won (about $3 billion), and there is a growing demand for natural alternatives to drug treatments, which often have side effects.
Current FDA-approved treatments (such as finasteride and minoxidil) can cause problems from scalp irritation to long-term use of sexual dysfunction. Plant-based approaches offer potential benefits without these side effects.
KFRI has completed preparations for the preparations to be registered with individually approved functional ingredients from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, a crucial step towards commercial availability. The study has been published in highly respected international journals, including Biomedical and Drug Therapy and Heliyon, with scientific credibility for these findings.
Smart agriculture as the future of natural medicine
The study highlights how a controlled agricultural environment produces consistent high-quality medicinal plants throughout the year, regardless of external weather conditions or seasonal changes. Smart farms use sensors, automated systems and data analysis to optimize growth conditions for specific plants and required composite concentrations.
This approach can revolutionize the way natural health products are developed and manufactured, from unpredictable wild harvests to reliable, scalable production systems.
The KFRI program expands this model by integrating AI-driven screening technology and bioinformatics to identify and validate other North Korean plants with therapeutic potential. The institute aims to transform these findings into quality functional foods with global export potential and potentially create new economic opportunities in agriculture and healthcare.
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