Abstracto

Effect of bacterial exopolysaccharide and human hair proteinon recovery of damaged hair

Sun Hee Lee, Bo Young Jeon, Doo Hyun Park

This study was performed to evaluate effect of natural compounds that are exopolysaccharide (EPS) and human hair protein (HHP) on recovering of damaged hairs. Exopolysaccharide (EPS) was extracted from culture fluid of Weissella hellenica SKkimchi3. HHP was obtained from human hair keratin thatwas chemically extracted andmodified to bewater-soluble. Molecular weight of EPS and HHP was approximately 250, 000 and 100, 000, respectively. Normal hairs were obtained from a woman who never treated her hairs for permanent wave or dyeing. Damaged hairs were obtained from a woman who treated her hairs for permanent wave two times and dyeing one time. One%of EPS solutionor 1%HHP was sprayed on surface of damaged hairs. Both EPS and HHP filled gaps between cuticle scales according to SEM images. However, tensile strength of HHP-treateddamaged hairs was significantly higher than that of EPStreateddamaged hairs. Especially the tensile-strength of HHPtreateddamaged hairswas very similar to that of normal hairs. These results are a clue that HHP may connect between fibrous proteins of cuticle and cortex.