Citrus Limon-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Promote Hair Growth Publisher



Raoufimanesh F ; Atyabi SM ; Mohamadali M ; Mirshaby ZA ; Irani S ; Dinarvand R
Source: Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology Published:2026

Abstract

The use of Exosomes (EXOs) to induce the regeneration of hair follicles has received much attention today. The present study was conducted to survey the effects of Citrus limon-derived EXOs (EXO-CLs) on promoting hair growth. EXOs were isolated from citrus limon by the filtration technique. According to NanoSight DynamicLight Scattering and Scanning Electron Microscopy, the extracted EXOs had a size of 147 nm and a spherical morphology. The flow cytometry analysis showed the expression of surface markers CD9 (64.6%), CD63(66.2%), and CD81(65.2%). The MTT test showed a significant increase in the percentage of human skin fibroblast cell viability in the group treated with EXO-CLs (400 µg/mL) compared to the control. The evaluations performed in vivo phase showed a significant increase in the thickness of dermis, the number of hair follicles, and the percentage of collagen were observed in the group treated with EXO compared to the negative control group. The expression ratio of Wnt-1, β-Catenin, Lef1, Vegf, Tgf-β1, and Collagen I genes respectively, increased by a factor of 4.4, 4.8, 2.7, 2.3, 4.6, and 2.4 in EXO-CLs groups compared to the negative control group. According to the findings, the EXO-CLs could promote hair follicle regeneration in vivo and improve hair regrowth. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2026.