Melanogenesis Stimulation of Deer Antler Velvet Extract and Its Loaded Chitosan Liposomes and Microspicule Formulation: In Vitro Biological Study and In Vivo Human Study

Deer antler velvet (DAV) is rich in bioactive compounds with potential applications in regenerative medicine, particularly as inducers of melanogenesis. A combination of chitosan-liposomes (C-LI) and microspicule (MS) effectively delivered DAV extract through hair follicles. This study aimed to investigate the melanogenesis stimulation of DAV extract and its loaded C-LI and MS formulation for hair graying treatment. In vitro biological studies of DAV extract were conducted using B16F10 melanoma cells, focusing on stimulating tyrosinase activity and melanin content. DAV extract was loaded into C-LI and MS formulation. In vivo human study evaluated changes in the melanin after applying the formulation. For the result, the DAV extract demonstrated non-toxicity to B16F10 melanoma cells at concentrations below 1,000 µg/mL. At a 100 µg/mL concentration, DAV extract exhibited significantly higher tyrosinase activity in both mushroom tyrosinase activity assay and cultured B16F10 cells compared to other concentrations. This resulted in a significantly higher melanin content than the control and kojic acid (a tyrosinase inhibitor). After applying DAV extract loaded C-LI MS gel to the scalp skin for four weeks, the percent change of melanin was higher than the control (untreated scalp skin), suggesting that bioactive compounds from DAV extract may contribute to increased melanin content in hair. In conclusion, DAV extract plays a crucial role in stimulating melanogenesis, thereby increasing melanin in aging hair. This research provides valuable insights into the potential use of DAV and its formulations for addressing hair graying concerns.