Pungenin Promotes Hair Growth in Mouse Models of Androgenic Alopecia Through Transcriptional Regulation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR Axis.

Zhai W, Yang J, Zhang L, Lin Z, Xie W, Wen S, Li G · 2026 · Molecules · Atlas ID ZHAI2026

What this study shows

Topical pungenin accelerated hair regrowth in DHT-induced androgenetic alopecia mice, reducing type II 5α-reductase expression and modulating PI3K/AKT/FoxO/mTOR transcriptional signalling in hair follicle cells.

Abstract

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Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is characterized by progressive miniaturization of hair follicles driven by dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-mediated androgen receptor signalling. Pungenin, a phenolic glucoside, was investigated in DHT-induced AGA model mice. In primary mouse hair follicle cells exposed to DHT, pungenin mitigated cellular injury, restored morphology and viability, and significantly reduced type II 5alpha-reductase expression. Topical pungenin markedly accelerated hair regeneration by histological analysis and serum biochemistry.

Read the full abstract on PubMed →

At a glance

Evidence type	A Animal model Marked A because it is an animal intervention or observation study measuring an organismal outcome (model: Mouse (DHT-induced AGA); primary mouse hair follicle cells); the code names the system studied -- animal work can be rigorous and still not be human data.
Study type	4 - Animal Study
Model system	Mouse (DHT-induced AGA); primary mouse hair follicle cells
Journal	Molecules
Year	2026
Peer reviewed	Yes
Record last updated	2026-10-01
Source	DOI 10.3390/molecules31162864 · PMID 42653946 · Free full text (PMC13515395)

Extracted findings

These fields were extracted from the paper with AI assistance and have not been checked against the source. Read them as a pointer into the paper, not as curated claims; where they disagree with the curated summary above, the curated summary stands.

Intervention	Pungenin (topical)
Target	PI3K/AKT/FoxO/mTOR; SRD5A2
Model	Mouse
Effect	Accelerated hair regeneration, restored follicle cell viability, reduced 5α-reductase expression

In the Atlas

Cite this paper

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Zhai, W., Yang, J., Zhang, L., Lin, Z., Xie, W., Wen, S., & Li, G. (2026). Pungenin Promotes Hair Growth in Mouse Models of Androgenic Alopecia Through Transcriptional Regulation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR Axis. Molecules. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31162864

@article{ZHAI2026,
  author       = {Zhai, W. and Yang, J. and Zhang, L. and Lin, Z. and Xie, W. and Wen, S. and Li, G.},
  title        = {{Pungenin Promotes Hair Growth in Mouse Models of Androgenic Alopecia Through Transcriptional Regulation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR Axis}},
  journal      = {Molecules},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {10.3390/molecules31162864},
  note         = {PMID: 42653946},
}

Cite this Atlas record

The record is the Atlas's own work — the evidence label, the extracted findings and the links. It is cited as part of the dataset, not as the paper.

Barton, O. (2026). Oliver's mTOR Atlas (record ZHAI2026) [Data set]. https://mtor-atlas.org/study/ZHAI2026/ · Dataset DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22059963

@misc{atlas_ZHAI2026,
  author       = {Barton, Oliver},
  title        = {{Oliver's mTOR Atlas}, record ZHAI2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://mtor-atlas.org/study/ZHAI2026/},
  doi          = {10.5281/zenodo.22059963}
}

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