Author(s):
Raj Pawar, Pranit Nimse, Vivek Waghere, Avinash A. Gunjal
Email(s):
avinashgunjal4247@gmail.com
DOI:
10.52711/2231-5659.2026.00024 
Address:
Raj Pawar1, Pranit Nimse1, Vivek Waghere1, Avinash A. Gunjal2*
1Research Scholar, Siddhi’s Institute of Pharmacy, Nandgaon, Murbad, Thane - 421401, Maharashtra, India.
2Assistant Professor, Siddhi’s Institute of Pharmacy, Nandgaon, Murbad, Thane - 421401, Maharashtra, India.
*Corresponding Author
Published In:
Volume - 16,
Issue - 2,
Year - 2026
ABSTRACT:
Traditional herbal medicine remains a cornerstone of healthcare, offering remedies for conditions where modern therapies are limited. Semecarpus anacardium Linn. (marking nut; “Bhallataka”) is a well-known Ayurvedic plant with diverse pharmacological properties and emerging potential in hair growth promotion. Preclinical and ethnomedicinal evidence suggest that its bioactive constituents particularly anacardic acid, biflavonoids, and phenolic compounds exert antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial actions that help create a favorable scalp environment. These effects protect hair follicles from oxidative stress, regulate inflammatory pathways, and enhance follicular cycling, thereby supporting the transition from telogen to anagen phase and stimulating stem cell activity. Additionally, modulation of signaling pathways such as NF-?B, Wnt/ß-catenin, and Shh underpins its mechanistic role in follicle regeneration and proliferation. Despite these promising effects, raw preparations of S. anacardium are associated with significant toxicity, including dermatitis and systemic reactions, underscoring the importance of detoxification processes (Shodhana) and safe formulation strategies. Current data are largely limited to in vitro and animal models, with a paucity of standardized human clinical trials. This review integrates traditional knowledge with modern pharmacological insights, highlighting S. anacardium as a candidate for developing safe, plant-based interventions against hair loss. Future work should focus on standardized extraction methods, novel delivery systems, and well-designed clinical evaluations to validate its efficacy and safety in humans.
Cite this article:
Raj Pawar, Pranit Nimse, Vivek Waghere, Avinash A. Gunjal. Hair Growth-Promoting Potential of Semecarpus anacardium: Mechanistic Insights and Pharmacological Evidence. Asian Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences.2026; 16(2):154-0. doi: 10.52711/2231-5659.2026.00024
Cite(Electronic):
Raj Pawar, Pranit Nimse, Vivek Waghere, Avinash A. Gunjal. Hair Growth-Promoting Potential of Semecarpus anacardium: Mechanistic Insights and Pharmacological Evidence. Asian Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences.2026; 16(2):154-0. doi: 10.52711/2231-5659.2026.00024 Available on: https://ajpsonline.com/AbstractView.aspx?PID=2026-16-2-9
REFERENCES:
1. Upreti S, Anam MS, Rajendra SV, Das K, Dang R. Semecarpus anacardium – a wonderful plant with varied medicinal properties. J Pharm Res. 2016; 15(4):162–8.
2. Payal N. Vaja, Hiral S. Popaniya, Chintankumar J. Tank, Chetan H. Borkhataria, Akhil N. Vachhani, Dhrushit R. Pithiya. The Botanical Breakthrough: Herbal Approaches to Reversing Alopecia. Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research.2024; 14(4):397-2.
3. Poonam C. Rahangdale, Anjali M. Wankhade. A Review on-Types and Treatment of Alopecia. Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research. 2023; 13(2):123-8.
4. Majumdar S, Banerji R, Mukherjee PK. Medicinal potentials of Semecarpus anacardium nut – a review. J Herbs Med Toxicol. 2008; 2:9–13.
5. Aswini Kumar Sethi, Faruk Alam, Sruti Ranjan Mishra. A Comprehensive Review on Medicinal Plants for the Remedy of Hair Loss. Research Journal of Pharmacy and Technology. 2023; 16(11):5497-1.
6. Sanjay R Patel, Ashok P Suthar, Anand M Shah, Hitesh V Hirpara, Vishal D Joshi, Mayur V Katheria. Antimicrobial Activity of Methanolic Extracts of Mucuna pruriens, Semecarpus anacardium, Anethum graveolens by Agar Disc Diffusion Method. Research J. Pharm. and Tech. 3(1): Jan. - Mar. 2010; Page 165-167.
7. Premalatha B. Semecarpus anacardium Linn. nuts: a boon in alternative medicine. Indian J Exp Biol. 2000; 38(12):1177–82.
8. Semalty M, Semalty A, Badola A, Joshi GP, Rawat MSM. Semecarpus anacardium Linn.: A review. Pharmacogn Rev. 2010; 4(7):88–94. doi:10.4103/0973-7847.65328.
9. Ashish Londhe, S.D. Mankar. Herbonanoceuticals: A Newer approach for Delivering Herbal Drugs-A Review. Research Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry. 2022; 14(2):136-1.
10. S K Mishra, G M Doshi, P K Chaskar, P K Sahu, Shodhana attenuates cytotoxicity of methanolic extract of Semecarpus anacardium nuts. Research J. Pharm. and Tech. 2017; 10(2): 567-574.
11. Anu Ruhila, Anupam Srivastava, Pramod Yadav, Galib R., Pradeep Kumar Prajapati. Preliminary GC-MS profiling of Bhallataka Oil. Asian J. Research Chem. 2021; 14(2):108-110.
12. Deepa N. Semecarpus anacardium: A review of its phytochemistry, traditional uses, pharmacological and toxicological properties. Int J Pharm Biol Sci. 2024; 14(3):8–16. doi:10.5281/zenodo.13254552.
13. Lin X, Zhu L, He J. Morphogenesis, growth cycle and molecular regulation of hair follicles. Front Cell Dev Biol. 2022; 10:899095. doi:10.3389/fcell.2022.899095.
14. Lin WH, Xiang LJ, Shi HX, Zhang J, Jiang LP, Cai PT, et al. Fibroblast growth factors stimulate hair growth through β-catenin and Shh expression in C57BL/6 mice. Biomed Res Int. 2015; 2015:730139. doi:10.1155/2015/730139.
15. Shin DW. Molecular mechanism of natural products activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway for improving hair loss. Life (Basel). 2022; 12(11):1856. doi:10.3390/life12111856.
16. Warrier PK, Nambiar VPK, Ramankutty C. Indian Medicinal Plants: A Compendium of 500 Species. Vol. 5. Orient Blackswan; 1996. p. 120–3.
17. Semalty M, Semalty A, Badola A, Joshi GP, Rawat MSM. Semecarpus anacardium Linn.: A review. Pharmacogn Rev. 2010; 4(7):88-94.
18. Khare CP. Indian Medicinal Plants: An Illustrated Dictionary. Springer; 2007. p. 593–5.
19. Upreti S, Anam MS, Rajendra SV, Das K, Dang R. A review on Semecarpus anacardium – A wonderful plant with varied medicinal properties. Pharm Res. 2016; 15(4):162-73.
20. Deepa N, Vijay V, Uthanthi TU, Faustina TM, ThamizhKuil RV, Vasundra K, Nirmala S. Semecarpus anacardium: Phytochemistry, traditional uses, pharmacological activities, and toxicological aspects. Int J Pharm Biol Sci. 2024; 14(2):45-56.
21. Semalty M, Semalty A, Badola A, Joshi GP, Rawat MSM. Semecarpus anacardium Linn.: A review. Pharmacogn Rev. 2010; 4(7):88–94.
22. Upreti S, Anam MS, Rajendra SV, Das K, Dang R. A review on Semecarpus anacardium – A wonderful plant with varied medicinal properties. Pharm Res. 2016; 15(4):162–73.
23. Khare CP. Indian Medicinal Plants: An Illustrated Dictionary. Springer; 2007. p. 593–5.
24. Sharma A, Sharma R, Singh B, Chand T. Flavonoids from Semecarpus anacardium Linn. nut extract: pharmacological relevance. J Ethnopharmacol. 2020; 247:112256.
25. Singh N, Verma P, Pandey BR. Quercetin and kaempferol in Semecarpus anacardium: insight into therapeutic potential. Phytomedicine. 2019; 60:152953.
26. Gupta A, Nishteswar K. Chemical and pharmacological profile of Semecarpus anacardium Linn. nuts: a review. Ayu. 2011; 32(2):196–201.
27. Sharma N, Verma PK, Verma S, Gupta V. Pharmacological insights into Semecarpus anacardium: modulation of oxidative stress, inflammation, and Wnt/β-catenin signaling. J Ethnopharmacol. 2021; 280:114461.
28. Patel D, Kiran R, Mehta P, Bhatia V. Anacardic acid as a natural modulator of Wnt/β-catenin pathway: implications in regenerative medicine and hair follicle biology. Phytomedicine. 2022; 104:154274.
29. Choudhury D, Singh R, Kumari A. Phytochemical biflavonoids of Semecarpus anacardium regulate NF-κB and Sonic Hedgehog signaling: a novel perspective in follicular regeneration. Front Pharmacol. 2023; 14:1125479.
30. Kumar A, Rout S, Sahoo S. Herbal modulation of Wnt and Shh pathways in alopecia: comparative evaluation of Eclipta alba and Semecarpus anacardium. Biomed Pharmacother. 2024; 169:115001.
31. Meena R, Kalra A, Joshi M. Semecarpus anacardium Linn. in dermatology and hair research: mechanistic updates and translational perspectives. Planta Med. 2025; 91(2):87–101.
32. Yadav DK, Rathi B, Pednekar A, Khan S, Sharma R. Evaluation of polyherbal formulations containing Trigonella corniculata, Trigonella foenum-graecum, and Semecarpus anacardium for hair growth activity in albino rats. J Ethnopharmacol. 2016; 194:949–56.
33. Sharma PV, Das PK. Pharmacological evaluation of Semecarpus anacardium nut extract: hair growth and beyond. Indian J Exp Biol. 2014; 52(9):879–86.
34. Kumar A, Singh V, Verma N, Sati B, Nair V. Antimicrobial efficacy of Semecarpus anacardium seed extracts against dandruff-causing microbes: TLC-guided phytochemical analysis. Pharmacogn Mag. 2018; 14(56):431–7.
35. Roberts JL, McMichael A. Minoxidil: mechanisms of action and clinical efficacy in androgenetic alopecia. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2015; 72(4):706–14.
36. Srivastava SK, Kumar R, Singh M, Gupta YK. Semecarpus anacardium extract suppresses pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-12p40) and inhibits NF-κB/AP-1 signaling in LPS-stimulated macrophages. Phytomedicine. 2018; 40:147–56.
37. Rao S, Sharma P, Arora V. Role of Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) pathway in hair follicle stem cell activation and its modulation by plant-derived compounds. Stem Cells Dev. 2019; 28(12):805–16.
38. Patel P, Singh R, Verma A. In vitro effects of Semecarpus anacardium on follicular cell proliferation and differentiation. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2020; 42(3):230–8.
39. Saraswat Nikita, Pal S Rashmi, Pal Yogendra, Wal Pranay, Wal Ankita, Rai A. K. Poly Herbal Hair Oil Preparation, Standardization, Treatment and Evaluation for Alopecia in Male Wistar Rats. Research J. Pharm. and Tech 2019; 12(2):757-763.
40. Patel S, Sharma A, Kumar R, et al. Development and evaluation of anti-dandruff herbal shampoo using herbal extracts: formulation and antifungal activity. Indian J Pharm Sci. 2022; 84(5):1085–92.
41. Singh P, Verma N, Gupta S. Preparation of traditional herbal oil with Trigonella foenum-graecum, Azadirachta indica and herbal extracts for hair care. J Ethnopharmacol. 2023; 291:115201.
42. Bahekar G, Shere M, Kadam K, et al. Formulation and evaluation of herbal hair gel incorporating aloe vera, fenugreek, and amla extracts. Int J Sci Inno Eng. 2025; 2(6):39–49 doi:10.70849/IJSCI.
43. Sharma Mukesh, Ajazuddin, V.Minu, Soni Sonam,Jyotsna, Rashmi, Hansa, Deepaveni, Hempushpa, Tripathi D.K.. A Survey on Marketed Products Having Significance Role in Hair Loss Treatment: Bhilai-Durg City 2011-12. Res. J. Topical and Cosmetic Sci. 3(1): July-Dec. 2012 page 37-39.
44. Rashmi Tamanekar, Shamika Salavkar, Rajani Athawale. Pilosebaceous Targeting – An Emerging Concept in Topical and Cosmetic Science. Res. J. Topical and Cosmetic Sci. 2(2): July – Dec. 2011 page 45-51.
45. Prajapati PK, Yadav DP. Stability study of Bhallataka Kshaudra: an Ayurvedic formulation. Asian J Pharm. 2019; 13(3):234–40
46. Sharma A, Shukla R, Saxena R. Allergic contact dermatitis caused by Semecarpus anacardium sap: Clinical and experimental evidence. J Ethnopharmacol. 2018; 222:123-9.
47. Singh S, Gupta V, Bansal P. Fatal systemic toxicity following ingestion of Semecarpus anacardium nuts: A case report and review. Clin Toxicol. 2019; 57(4):289-93.
48. Kaur N, Mishra S, Kumar P. Subacute toxicity studies of nut oil extract of Semecarpus anacardium in rodents. Toxicol Rep. 2020; 7:1015-22.
49. Rajendran R, Narasimhan S, Balasubramani SP. Safety assessment of a Siddha milk-processed formulation of Semecarpus anacardium in rats. J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2021; 12(3):456-64.
50. Pandey R, Sahu S, Gupta A. In silico toxicological profiling of urushiol analogs from Semecarpus anacardium: Implications for safety. Comput Toxicol. 2022; 21:100230.
51. Lamichhane S, Sahariah BJ, Das B, Khatiwara D, Sola P, Adhikari RP, et al. Herbal Drug Standardization: A Systemic Review. J Drug Deliv Ther. 2020; 10(6):345–52.
52. Zaheer Z, Humera A, Subrat P. Quality control of traditional herbs and herbal products: A review. Future J Pharm Sci. 2020; 6:68.
53. Almoshari Y. Novel Hydrogels for Topical Applications: An Updated Comprehensive Review. Gels. 2022; 8(3):174.
54. Sindhu RK, Gupta R, Wadhera G, Kumar P. Modern Herbal Nanogels: Formulation, Delivery Methods, and Applications. Gels. 2022; 8(2):97.
55. Patravale VB, Date AA, Kulkarni RM. Herbal drug-loaded nanoformulations: future opportunities and challenges. Future J Pharm Sci. 2020; 6:1–12.
56. “Designing hydrogels for controlled drug delivery.” Nat Rev Mater. 2016; 1:16071.