Abstract

Chemotherapy-induced alopecia is a prevalent side effect, prompting exploration into preventive measures. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of Mentha piperita (mint) leaf and Aloe vera serum, administered either individually or in combination,, on CDK1 (cyclin-dependent kinase 1) and CDC25 (cell division cycle 25) expression in Wistar rat hair tissue receiving cyclophosphamide (CYP) chemotherapy. A total of 42 rats were divided into six groups, with seven rats in each group. The groups consisted of: a normal control group (G1), a cyclophosphamide (CYP)-induced alopecia group (G2), and treatment groups receiving minoxidil (G3), mint leaf serum (G4), Aloe vera serum (G5), and a combination of mint leaf and Aloe vera serum (G6). CDK1 and CDC25 expression was assessed through immunohistochemistry, and One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) determined significance at p<0.05. The results showed that there was elevated CDK1 and CDC25 expression in G2 compared to G1. CDK1 expression in G4, G5, and G6 (20.30±4.33%, 37.43±9.86%, and 33.17±14.93%, respectively) significantly decreased compared to G2 (48.86±6.74%) (p<0.05). CDC25 expression in G4 (20.30±4.33%) was significantly lower than G2 (p<0.05). Additionally, CDK1 expression in K6 was significantly reduced compared to G3 (p<0.05). There were no significant differences in CDC25 expression between G4, G5, and G6 compared to G3 (p>0.05). The combination of mint leaf and Aloe vera serum effectively reduced CDK1 expression, while CDC25 remained unaffected. Mint serum alone demonstrated a reduction in CDC25 expression, underscoring the potential in preventing chemotherapy-induced alopecia.