{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,21]],"date-time":"2026-08-21T05:23:27Z","timestamp":1787289807703,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"16","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]],"date-time":"2026-08-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787097600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100003715","name":"Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["KGM1202612"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["KGM1202612"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100003715","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"award":["KGM1202612"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["KGM1202612"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/03ep23f07","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100003725","name":"National Research Foundation of Korea","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["RS-2023-00279573"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["RS-2023-00279573"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100003725","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"award":["RS-2023-00279573"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["RS-2023-00279573"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/013aysd81","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Int. J. Mol. Sci.","IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Although Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz. (AM) exhibits various pharmacological properties, its molecular effects and active constituents regarding anagen entry and physiological hair cycle progression remain uncharacterized. This study aimed to investigate the hair growth-promoting efficacy of AM and identify its bioactive compounds and underlying molecular mechanisms. We evaluated AM extract using human dermal papilla cells (DPCs) and a synchronized depilation-induced C57BL\/6 mouse model, employing RT-PCR, Western blotting, immunofluorescence, and SwissADME-based pharmacokinetic profiling. AM significantly enhanced DPC proliferation and migration while upregulating paracrine factors (HGF, VEGF, and FGF7). Mechanistically, AM activated Akt, ERK, and p38 MAPKs, leading to GSK3\u03b2 phosphorylation (Ser9) and subsequent \u03b2-catenin stabilization. In vivo, oral AM (60 mg\/kg) markedly accelerated the telogen-to-anagen transition, increasing dermal thickness, follicle count, and hair shaft quality without systemic toxicity. Furthermore, cell-based screening and SwissADME prioritized atractylenolide I and III as the chief bioactive sesquiterpenoids driving DPC activation. In conclusion, AM and its key atractylenolides promote anagen entry and hair regrowth, in association with GSK3\u03b2 phosphorylation and \u03b2-catenin stabilization, representing promising natural candidates for promoting physiological hair cycle progression.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms27167411","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]],"date-time":"2026-08-19T11:04:12Z","timestamp":1787137452000},"page":"7411","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Atractylodes\u00a0macrocephala\u00a0Koidz. Stimulates Dermal Papilla Cells to Promote Anagen Entry Associated with GSK3\u03b2\/\u03b2-Catenin Signaling"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"27","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-2039-4611","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Su Hyeon","family":"Lee","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Natural Product Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju 28116, Republic of Korea"},{"name":"College of Pharmacy, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28160, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-6428-2457","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ji-Yoon","family":"Park","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Natural Product Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju 28116, Republic of Korea"},{"name":"Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Department of Medical Science, College of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 35015, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-6072-7274","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Namho","family":"Kim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Natural Product Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju 28116, Republic of Korea"},{"name":"Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Department of Medical Science, College of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 35015, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0001-7418-0812","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hyunwoo","family":"Park","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Natural Product Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju 28116, Republic of Korea"},{"name":"College of Pharmacy, Chungnam National University, 99 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34134, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5981-4859","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sung-Tae","family":"Hong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Department of Medical Science, College of Medicine, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 35015, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5814-2720","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mi Kyeong","family":"Lee","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Pharmacy, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28160, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3722-5724","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mun-Ock","family":"Kim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Natural Product Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Cheongju 28116, Republic of Korea"},{"name":"Department of Bioscience, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon 34113, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"441","DOI":"10.1080\/13696998.2023.2188843","article-title":"Patient characteristics associated with all-cause healthcare costs of alopecia areata in the United States","volume":"26","author":"Gao","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. 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