Researchers at Tokushima University in Japan screened chaga mushrooms (Inonotus obliquus) for potential anti-alopecia agents. They reported their findings in an article published in the Journal of Natural Medicines.

• I. obliquus is a parasitic fungus that grows in birch and other trees.
• Chaga mushrooms, which are used in traditional medicine, refer to the resting body (sclerotium) of I. obliquus.
• This medicinal fungus is traditionally used in Mongolia to make shampoo that helps maintain healthy hair.
• The researchers obtained five lanostane-type triterpenes (1-5) via bioassay-guided fractionation of chaga mushroom extracts.
• They identified the structures of the triterpenes using spectroscopy.
• Proliferation assay using human follicle dermal papilla cells (HFDPCs) revealed that four of the five triterpenes have pro-proliferative effects on HFDPCs.
• These compounds were lanosterol (1), inotodiol (3), lanost-8,24-diene-3B,21-diol (4) and trametenolic acid (5).
• The researchers also reported that these lanostane-type triterpenes (1, 3, 4 and 5) were more potent than minoxidil, a conventional treatment for hair loss.

Based on these findings, the researchers concluded that the lanostane-type triterpenes in chaga mushrooms are potent anti-alopecia agents that can be used to stimulate hair growth naturally.

Journal Reference:

Sagayama K, Tanaka N, Fukumoto T, Kashiwada Y. LANOSTANE-TYPE TRITERPENES FROM THE SCLEROTIUM OF INONOTUS OBLIQUUS (CHAGA MUSHROOMS) AS PROPROLIFERATIVE AGENTS ON HUMAN FOLLICLE DERMAL PAPILLA CELLS. Journal of Natural Medicines. 31 January 2019;73(3):597–601. DOI: 10.1007/s11418-019-01280-0