A Review on Curcumin-Piperine Synergy in Alopecia: Phytochemical Profiling, Molecular Docking and Network Pharmacology Approaches

The review explores the potential of curcumin and piperine in managing alopecia, a complex hair loss disorder. It highlights the limitations of conventional treatments like minoxidil and finasteride, which target single pathways. Through phytochemical profiling, molecular docking, and network pharmacology, the study demonstrates that curcumin and piperine have favorable pharmacokinetic properties, with piperine enhancing curcumin's bioavailability. Curcumin shows strong binding to key alopecia-related targets, suggesting it can modulate both androgenic and inflammatory pathways. Network pharmacology reveals involvement of crucial pathways like NF-κB, PI3K-Akt, and Wnt/β-catenin in hair follicle health. While the computational findings are promising, experimental and clinical validation is needed to confirm the efficacy of curcumin-piperine co-supplementation in treating alopecia.