Baicalin Against Androgenetic Alopecia: A Network Pharmacology Study

This study investigates baicalin's potential mechanism against androgenetic alopecia (AGA) using a network pharmacology approach. Researchers identified 18 overlapping targets between baicalin-related targets and AGA-associated genes, with key proteins including ALB, AKT1, AR, ESR1, and EGFR. The study highlights baicalin's involvement in hormone regulation and cellular proliferation pathways, particularly the estrogen signaling pathway. Molecular docking suggests baicalin binds effectively to type II 5α-reductase (SRD5A2) with a binding energy of −11.1 kcal mol⁻¹, forming stable hydrogen bonds, indicating its potential as an effective treatment for AGA by inhibiting 5α-reductase.