Therapeutic potential of orally administered Connarus semidecandrus Jack ethanol extract in an androgenetic alopecia model

The study investigated the therapeutic potential of Connarus semidecandrus Jack ethanol extract (CE) for androgenetic alopecia (AGA) using a testosterone propionate-induced AGA mouse model. Oral administration of CE (300 mg/kg) showed hair regrowth effects comparable to finasteride, including restored hair shaft thickness, improved hair type distribution, and reduced follicular apoptosis. CE treatment increased Bcl-2 expression, decreased cleaved caspase-3 levels, and downregulated androgen receptor (AR) expression and associated mediators like DKK-1, TGF-β1, and IL-6. Importantly, CE did not cause liver or kidney toxicity over three weeks. Phytochemical analysis revealed flavonoids such as miquelianin, which inhibited 5α-reductase and reduced AR expression. These results suggest CE as a promising, safe candidate for oral AGA treatment.