LG H&H says AI-aided study finds hair-growth compound from cnidium extract

LG Household & Health Care said it has developed a new scalp and hair-care ingredient combination that significantly improves hair growth speed and durability, based on a compound extracted from the herbal medicine cnidium.
 
The company said April 28 that its research institute used artificial intelligence to identify “cnidium-derived ferulic acid” and combined it with NMN, described as a key ingredient for extending skin longevity, to create the new formulation.
 
The findings were published in the latest issue of Scientific Reports, a sister journal of Nature, the company said.
 
Researchers said they have focused on cnidium since 2009 after traditional medical texts, including Donguibogam and Bencao Gangmu, described it as helping improve stagnant circulation, suggesting potential to improve the scalp environment.
 
In the latest work, the team applied AI and molecular modeling and found that ferulic acid in cnidium activates estrogen receptors in dermal papilla cells, which it described as a key factor in hair growth.
 
Based on that, the researchers combined ferulic acid and NMN at an optimized ratio and ran human hair-follicle culture tests. The company said the combination promoted proliferation of dermal papilla cells and helped activate mitochondrial function inside the cells.
 
It said the mechanism boosts cellular energy metabolism needed for new hair formation and growth, maximizing hair-growth effects.
 
In comparative tests using cultured follicles, the company said the new combination showed a higher hair growth-phase retention rate than minoxidil, a widely used hair-strengthening ingredient, demonstrating a strong hair-growth promoting effect.
 
“This research will serve as a turning point for continuing to develop materials that can help us approach hair-growth technology that makes hair thicker and stronger,” said Kang Nae-gyu, LG Household & Health Care’s chief technology officer. He said the company will advance research on hair growth and improved volume by confirming the potential of cnidium-derived ferulic acid and expanding its work to combinations with NMN.