The Philippines stingless bee propolis promotes hair growth through activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

Yulan Tang; Chen Wang; Mark Joseph M. Desamero; Mun Keong Kok; James Kenn Chambers; Kazuyuki Uchida; Yuri Kominami; Hideki Ushio; Cleofas Cervancia; Maria Amelita Estacio; Shigeru Kyuwa; Shigeru Kakuta

doi:10.1538/expanim.22-0092

Original

The Philippines stingless bee propolis promotes hair growth through activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

Yulan Tang, Chen Wang, Mark Joseph M. Desamero, Mun Keong Kok, James Kenn Chambers, Kazuyuki Uchida, Yuri Kominami, Hideki Ushio, Cleofas Cervancia, Maria Amelita Estacio, Shigeru Kyuwa, Shigeru Kakuta

Author information

Yulan Tang
Laboratory of Biomedical Science, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
Department of Animal Resource Sciences, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
Chen Wang
Laboratory of Biomedical Science, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
Department of Animal Resource Sciences, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
Mark Joseph M. Desamero
Laboratory of Biomedical Science, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
Department of Basic Veterinary Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna 4031, Philippines
UPLB Bee Program, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna 4031, Philippines
Mun Keong Kok
Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
James Kenn Chambers
Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
Kazuyuki Uchida
Laboratory of Veterinary Pathology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
Yuri Kominami
Laboratory of Marine Biochemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
Hideki Ushio
Laboratory of Marine Biochemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
Cleofas Cervancia
UPLB Bee Program, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna 4031, Philippines
Institute of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna, 4031 Philippines
Maria Amelita Estacio
Department of Basic Veterinary Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna 4031, Philippines
UPLB Bee Program, University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna 4031, Philippines
Shigeru Kyuwa
Laboratory of Biomedical Science, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
Center for Food Safety, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
Shigeru Kakuta
Laboratory of Biomedical Science, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
Collaborative Research Institute for Innovative Microbiology (CRIIM), The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan

Keywords: hair follicles, hair growth, stingless bee propolis, Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

JOURNAL OPEN ACCESS
Supplementary material

2023 Volume 72 Issue 1 Pages 132-139

DOI https://doi.org/10.1538/expanim.22-0092

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Abstract

Although hair loss is not a horrible disease, it sometimes reduces the patients’ quality of life (QOL) and increases their mental stress. Currently, there is no effective treatment for hair loss. It is known that honeybee propolis has various biological activities, including stimulating the proliferation of hair matrix keratinocytes. However, little is known with the hair promoting activity of stingless bee propolis. Hence, this study investigates the hair growth-promoting activity of Philippines stingless bee propolis extract and the underlying a molecular mechanism of promoting hair growth. For the evaluation of hair growth stimulating activity, 99.5% ethanolic extract of Philippines stingless bee propolis is examined using the simple shaving model in C57BL/6N mice. Melaninization of dorsal skin and histological analysis of hair follicles (HFs) revealed that propolis promotes hair growth by stimulating HFs development. The expression of mRNA (Wnt3a, Ctnnb1/β-catenin, Lef1, and Bmp2) and protein (WNT3A and β-catenin) of selected Wnt/β-catenin associated genes explains Philippines stingless bee propolis promoting HFs development by activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. These results suggest that the treatment of propolis strongly promotes hair growth by stimulating the development of HFs via activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. This further indicates the potential of Philippines stingless bee propolis as a novel promising agricultural product for hair growth.

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