Food-related botanical Cacumen Platycladi alleviates androgenetic alopecia through activating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway

BACKGROUND Cacumen Platycladi (CP), the dried twigs and leaves of Platycladus orientalis , is a food-related botanical with potential hair health-promoting activity. However, the principal bioactive constituent responsible for its anti-alopecia effect and the underlying mechanism remain unclear. This study aimed to identify the key anti-alopecia constituent of CP and investigate its mechanism of action against androgenetic alopecia. RESULTS Six major candidate compounds were identified from CP by fractionated extraction, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry, and network pharmacology analysis. Among them, amentoflavone showed the strongest anti-alopecia activity. In a testosterone-induced mouse model, amentoflavone increased mean hair length by 1.10-fold and hair density by 1.33-fold versus the model group, improved follicular morphology, reduced the proportion of vellus hair by 50.8%, and regulated serum hormone levels. Western blot analysis further showed that amentoflavone increased β-catenin and cyclin D1 expression while decreasing GSK-3β expression. CONCLUSION Amentoflavone was identified as the principal anti-alopecia constituent of CP. Its beneficial effect was associated with activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, suggesting that CP is a promising source of functional bioactive compounds for hair health-related applications. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.