The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) is expected to launch a functional cosmetic product to alleviate hair loss symptoms that uses as its main ingredient maysin, a natural substance extracted from corn silk and centipedegrass, a type of turfgrass.

According to KAERI on the 5th, a hair tonic developed based on maysin, which has been used in various areas such as skin-soothing, UV-blocking and sports-care products, finally passed the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety’s review in May as a functional cosmetic for alleviating hair loss symptoms. Maysin, a natural material, is a flavonoid component present in trace amounts in corn silk or in centipedegrass, a type of turfgrass. Flavonoids are natural pigments found in plants, known for excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. As they are difficult to synthesize chemically, they are regarded as high value-added natural materials.

In 2012, KAERI succeeded for the first time in the world in isolating and purifying maysin from centipedegrass, a type of perennial warm-season turfgrass. A research team at KAERI’s Advanced Radiation Technology Institute irradiated the grass with radiation to increase its maysin content and produced a maysin extract with a 2.7-fold higher content than that of natural maysin.

As corn silk contains only trace amounts of maysin, large-scale production is difficult. However, KAERI explained that centipedegrass contains nearly three times more maysin than corn silk, and as it is a type of turfgrass, it has the characteristic of being producible year-round across all four seasons.

The product that passed the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety review is a spray-type functional cosmetic for alleviating hair loss symptoms, “Maycera Revive & Restore Hair Tonic,” developed by BioMaysin, KAERI’s 8th research institute spin-off company. While existing products mainly use ingredients such as caffeine and biotin and focus on scalp environment management and appearance enhancement, Maycera focuses on managing hair cell growth based on natural materials. It is scheduled to be launched in the market in the second half of this year (July–December). The product activates dermal papilla cells, which play an important role in hair growth, improves scalp and hair follicle health, and has demonstrated hair density improvement effects through human application tests. After 24 weeks of use, all members of the test group gave positive evaluations regarding hair loss symptoms, crown fullness, and hairline improvement. The research team stated that no abnormal scalp reactions, such as itching or stinging, were reported during the test period.

Maycera was recognized for its functionality as a non-notified ingredient rather than as a notified ingredient under the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety standards. Unlike already-notified ingredients, non-notified ingredients must individually prove their functionality and safety with scientific evidence. They undergo separate reviews, including human application tests and safety assessments. Maysin received final approval in May after about six months of review.

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