A novel tetrapeptide for the treatment of hair loss identified in ginseng berry: in silico characterization and molecular docking with TGF-β2

A novel tetrapeptide for the treatment of hair loss identified in ginseng berry: in silico characterization and molecular docking with TGF-β2

Hair loss causes psychological stress due to its effect on appearance. Therefore, the global market for hair loss treatment products is rapidly growing. The present study demonstrated that ginseng berry-derived and sequencemodified peptides promoted the proliferation rate of dermal papilla (DP) cells and keratinocytes, in addition to having antioxidant properties. Moreover, the potential role of these ginseng berry peptides as TGF-β2 antagonists was confirmed through in silico computer docking. In addition to promoting the growth of ,the ginseng berry-derived peptides also promoted the proliferation of keratinocytes experimental Particularly, an unmodified ginseng berry-derived peptide (GB-1) and two peptides with sequence modifications (GB-2 and GB-3) decreased ROS generation and exhibited a protective effect on damaged HaCaT keratinocytes. Computer-aided peptide discovery was conducted to identify the potential interactions of important proteins with transforming growth factor-beta 2 (TGF-β2), a key protein that plays a crucial role in the human hair growth cycle. Our results demonstrated that MAGH, an amino acid sequence present in herbal supplements and plant-based natural compounds, can inhibit TGF-β2.