A biotin-based ingredient that promotes significant hair growth and mitigates the effects of aging skin will soon be distributed in North America.
SenZen-Bio is the proprietary extract from the leaves of the Sesbania grandiflora tree grown in India’s Tamil Nadu region and is used in traditional Ayurveda. CK Ingredients, the North American distributor of SenZen-Bio, said Indian researchers found the branded ingredient improved hair growth by 25% in eight weeks while another study found that facial wrinkles were reduced up to 48%. Additional studies are underway to determine the effects of topical use of SenZen-Bio and will be completed next year.
According to Grand View Research, the market for hair growth supplements is valued at nearly $652 million and is expected to increase at an annual growth rate more than 14% by 2030. Consumer interest is spurred by a shift in demand from pharmaceuticals to nutraceuticals with a higher safety profile. Hair loss attributed to Covid-19 is also fueling consumption.
As for skin care solutions, there is increasing consciousness among consumers to understand specific ingredients.
Colleen Madden, vice president of innovation at CK Ingredients, said Sesbania is a source of natural biotin and contrasts with the synthetic, petroleum-based version which proliferates the market.
Sesbania is also a source of polyphenols, she said.
“Sesbania grandiflora was used mostly for its anti-inflammatory properties with a kind of secondary benefit mentioned for hair and skin. But what [researchers] found through doing the extraction process from the leaves is that there was a dramatic effect on hair and skin.”
Colleen Madden, vice president of innovation at CK Ingredients
Mihir Gadani, biotechnologist and co-founder of OZiva, the direct-to-consumer brand selling Sesbania in India, said the ingredient’s superior phytochemical profile “positioned it as the most promising source of biotin among the plants tested.”
Improved hair density
Published earlier this year in the International Journal of Clinical Trials as a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, researchers found that Sesbania use improved hair density, thickness and scalp condition.
The study’s participants included 51 healthy people (men and women) between 30 and 55 years old selected for either the experimental or placebo groups. People with thinning hair or hair loss from clinical conditions such as anemia or thyroid problems were excluded from participation. The study evaluated subjects at baseline, day 28 and day 56, the end of the evaluation. The experimental group took 250 mg of Sesbania.
Scientists found that hair density significantly improved (58.92+28.69 square cm) in the experimental group and that serum ferritin levels, which are associated with hair loss, increased by 27%.
Ratna Upadhyay, senior manager of nutraceutical product development at OZiva and ZenHerb Labs, which conducted the study, said an exploratory clinical trial is ongoing to evaluate the safety, efficacy and tolerability of three dosages of SesZen-Bio for hair growth in patients with mild to moderate androgenic alopecia. The study involves 72 participants, who are divided into three treatment groups: 150 mg Liposomal SeszenBio (once daily), 350 mg SeszenBio (0.8%) and 500 mg SeszenBio (0.5%).
“The objective is to compare the effectiveness of these dosages in promoting hair regrowth, including improvements in hair density, thickness and visible growth,” she said.
Impact on skin health
Gadani and Upadhyay recently published in the International Journal of Research in Dermatology the results from a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, two-arm, single-center study examining SesZen-Bio’s impact on wrinkles and fine lines on skin.
Like the hair growth study, participants were between 30-55 years old and 51 people completed the study. The experimental group took a capsule of 250 mg of .5% biotin standardized Sesbania grandiflora leaf extract (Zenherb Labs Private Limited, India).
The researchers found a statistically significant reduction in crow feet area wrinkles by 27.11% at day 28 and a 48.14% reduction by day 56, the last day of evaluation. Fine lines were reduced by reduced by 17.95% and 51.17% at day 28 and day 56 and the difference was statistically significant. Participants also experience a decrease in skin roughness.
The researchers wrote that “SesZen-Bio emerges as a ground-breaking innovation that redefines the intersection of science and beauty.”
Sources:
International Journal of Clinical Trials
doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.18203/2349-3259.ijct20240929
“A prospective, randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study for safety and efficacy of SesZen-Bio: a proprietary Sesbania grandiflora extract in managing hair and scalp health in health adults
Authors: Ratna Upadhyay et al.
International Journal of Research in Dermatology
doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.18203/issn.2455-4529.IntJResDermatol2024xxxx
“Skin health promoting effects of a proprietary nutraceutical ingredient (SesZen-BioTM): a placebo controlled, double-blind, and randomized clinical study”
Authors: Ratna Upadhyay et al.
