Background: There is evidence that glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are present in the hair shaft within the follicle but there are no studies regarding GAGs isolation and measurement in the human hair shaft over the scalp surface, it means, in the free hair shaft.
Objective: The purpose of our research was to isolate and measure the total GAGs from human free hair shaft.
Methods: Seventy-five healthy individuals participated in the study, 58 adults, men and women over the age of 50 and 17 children (aged 4~9). GAGs in hair samples, received from the parietal and the occipital areas, were isolated with 4 M guanidine HCl and measured by the uronic acid-carbazole reaction assay.
Results: GAGs concentration was significantly higher in the occipital area than in the parietal area, in all study groups. GAG levels from both areas were significantly higher in children than in adults. GAG levels were not associated with gender, hair color or type.
Conclusion: We report the presence of GAGs in the human free hair shaft and the correlation of hair GAG levels with the scalp area and participants' age.
Keywords: Glycosaminoglycans; Hair; Proteoglycans.