• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.386-392
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• 2014

The present study was aimed at investigating the antimicrobial activities of licorice's active ingredients. Four samples of licorice ingredients (glycyrrhizin, liquiritin, liquiritigenin, and isoliquiritigenin) were evaluated for their antimicrobial activities against six skin microorganisms. The bioassay applied for determining the antimicrobial effects employed a disc diffusion assay, the minimum inhibitory concentration, and the challenge test. The ingredients showed antibacterial activities. Especially, isoliquiritigenin has significant antimicrobial activities against two Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis, Propionobacterium acnes) and two Gramnegative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) bacteria. These samples had much higher antimicrobial activities than synthetic preservatives. Our results reveal that liquiritigenin and isoliquiritigenin could be useful compounds for the development of antibacterial agents for the preservation of cosmetics and foods. The two flavonoids, liquiritigenin and isoliquiritigenin, sourced from Korea, China, Uzbekistan, were quantified using HPLC. The results demonstrated that Korean licorice has two flavonoids (liquiritigenin, isoliquiritigenin) in much higher quantities than was observed in the licorice obtained from the two other countries. Thus, isoliquiritigenin and Korean licorice extract represent new candidates for antimicrobial agents.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.32-34
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• 2005

Effect of isoliquiritigenin isolated from the heartwood of Dalbergia odorifera T. Chen (Leguminosae) on mushroom tyrosinase activity was investigated in vitro using L-tyrosine and L-3, 4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) as the substrates. When L-tyrosine was used as a substrate, both isoliquiritigenin and kojic acid, a positive control, inhibited tyrosinase activity in a concentration-dependent manner. IC$_{50}$ values of isoliquiritigenin and kojic acid were 61.4 and 52.2 ${\muM}$, respectively. However, isoliquiritigenin showed week inhibitory effect on the oxidation of L-DOPA by tyrosinase with inhibition ratio of 9.1 ${\pm}$ 7.1% at 100 ${\muM}$. It is also suggested that 3-unsubstituted and 4-hydroxyl phenyl group in isoliquiritigenin plays an important role on the inhibition of tyrosinase activity when L-tyrosine was used as a substrate. Analysis of Lineweaver-Burk plot showed that isoliquiritigenin acts as a competitive inhibitor in case of L-tyrosine as a substrate.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.153-158
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• 2005

Numerous natural herbal compounds have been reported to inhibit adhesion and migration of leukocytes to the site of inflammation Licorice extracts, which have been widely used in traditional Chinese medicinal preparation, possess various pharmacological effects. Isoliquiritigenin, a biogenetic precursor of flavonoids with various pharmacological effects, is a natural pigment present in licorice. We attempted to explore whether licorice extracts and isoliquiritigenin mitigate monocyte adhesion to tumor necrosis factor-$\alpha$ (TNF-$\alpha$)-activated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). In addition, it was tested whether the inhibition of monocyte adhesion to the activated HUVEC accompanied a reduction in vascular cell adhesion molecule-l expression(VCAM-l). Dry-roasted licorice extracts in methylene chloride but not in ethanol markedly interfered with THP-l monocyte adhesion to INF-$\alpha$-activated endothelial cells. licochalcone A compound isolated from licorice extract in methylene chloride appeared to modestly inhibit the interaction of THP-l monocytes and activated endothelium. In addition, isoliquiritigenin abolished the monocyte adhesion with attenuating VCAM-l protein expression on HUVEC induced by INF-$\alpha$. These results demonstrated that non-polar components from dry-roasted licorice extracts containing licochalcone A as well as isoliquiritigenin were active in blocking monocyte adhesion to cytokine-activated endothelimn, which appeared to be mediated most likely through the inhibition of VCAM-l expression on HUVEC. Therefore, licorice may hamper initial inflammatory events on the vascular endothelium involving induction of endothelial cell adhesion molecules.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.34 no.1 s.132
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• pp.33-39
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• 2003

Eight compounds were isolated from the roots of Glycyrrhiza glabra by the tyrosinase inhibitory activity guided fractionation, and their structures were identified as liquiritigenin (1), isoliquiritigenin (2), isoliquiritigenin-2'-O-methyl ether (3), liquiritin (4), isoliquiritin (5), ononin (6), glycycoumarin (7), glycyrol (8) by analysis of spectral data. Compound 3 exhibited the most potent inhibitory effect on mushroom tyrosinase activity ($IC_{50}$, 47 M).

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.270-274
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• 2013

Egg allergy has been raised as the most prevalent food hypersensitivity in children. Ovalbumin (OVA), which is one of the major egg allergens, is the major protein in egg white. Isoliquiritigenin (ILG) is an active component present in licorice and has been used to treat many chronic diseases for many years. In this study, we present biochemical evidence that ILG inhibits OVA-induced nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ (NF-${\kappa}B$) activation. ILG also inhibits OVA-induced cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression. These data suggest that ILG has anti-allergy effects.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.365-368
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• 2009

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play an important role in host defense by sensing invading microbial pathogens and initiating innate immune responses. The stimulation of TLRs by microbial components triggers the activation of myeloid differential factor 88 (MyD88)- and toll-interleukin-1 receptor domain-containing adapter inducing interferon-${\beta}$ (TRIF)-dependent downstream signaling pathways. Isoliquiritigenin (ILG), an active ingredient of Licorice, has been used for centuries to treat many chronic diseases. ILG inhibits the MyD88-dependent pathway by inhibiting the activity of inhibitor-${\kappa}B$ kinase. However, it is not known whether ILG inhibits the TRIF-dependent pathway. To evaluate the therapeutic potential of ILG, we examined its effect on signal transduction via the TRIF-dependent pathway of TLRs induced by several agonists. ILG inhibited nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ and interferon regulatory factor 3 activation induced by lipopolysaccharide or polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid. ILG inhibited the lipopolysaccharide-induced phosphorylation of interferon regulatory factor 3 as well as interferon-inducible genes such as interferon inducible protein-10, and regulated activation of normal T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES). These results suggest that ILG can modulate TRIF-dependent signaling pathways of TLRs, leading to decreased inflammatory gene expression.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.361-366
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• 2011

Traditional herbal medicinal preparation Bojungikki-tang (BJT) is well-known herbal medicine used as tonic. We fermented Bojungikki-tang using nine lactic acid bacteria strains and discovered two remarkably increased compositions from the fermented BJTs using HPLC/DAD analysis. HPLC/DAD-guided fractionation of the increased compositions followed by structure identification using NMR and MS identified liquiritigenin and isoliquiritigenin. These bioconversion compositions were quantitatively analyzed using HPLC-DAD. Liquiritigenin contents were highest in BJTs fermented with L. amylophilus (1.91 mg/g) and L. fermentum (1.89 mg/g), which were increased by 20-fold compared to BJT (0.09 mg/g). Isoliquiritigenin contents were highest in BJTs in fermented with L. plantarum (0.19 mg/g) and L. fermentum (0.19 mg/g), which were increased by 19-fold compared to BJT (0.01 mg/g).

• 한국약용작물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2011.09a
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• pp.306-307
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• 2011

• Toxicological Research
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.23-29
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• 2018

Ethanol-induced fat accumulation, the earliest and most common response of the liver to ethanol exposure, may be involved in the pathogenesis of liver diseases. Isoliquiritigenin (ISL), an important constituent of Glycyrrhizae Radix, is a chalcone derivative that exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and phytoestrogenic activities. However, the effect of ISL treatment on lipid accumulation in hepatocytes and alcoholic hepatitis remains unclear. Therefore, we evaluated the effect and underlying mechanism of ISL on ethanol-induced hepatic steatosis by treating AML-12 cells with 200 mM ethanol and/or ISL ($0{\sim}50{\mu}M$) for 72 hr. Lipid accumulation was assayed by oil red O staining, and the expression of sirtuin1 (SIRT1), sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c), AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha ($PPAR{\alpha}$) was studied by western blotting. Our results indicated that ISL treatment upregulated SIRT1 expression and downregulated SREBP-1c expression in ethanol-treated cells. Similarly, oil red O staining revealed a decrease in ethanol-induced fat accumulation upon co-treatment of ethanol-treated cells with 10, 20, and $50{\mu}M$ of ISL. These findings suggest that ISL can reduce ethanol induced-hepatic lipogenesis by activating the SIRT1-AMPK pathway and thus improve lipid metabolism in alcoholic fatty livers.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.178-186
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• 2020

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis) contains several compounds that have been reported to alleviate menopausal symptoms via interacting with estrogen receptors (ERs). The compounds exist mainly in the form of glycosides, which exhibit low bioavailability and function. To bioconvert liquiritin and isoliquiritin, the major estrogenic compounds, to the corresponding deglycosylated liquiritigenin and isoliquiritigenin, respectively, licorice was fermented with Monascus, which has been demonstrated to deglycosylate other substances. The contents of liquiritigenin and isoliquiritigenin in Monascus-fermented licorice increased by 10.46-fold (from 38.03 μM to 379.75 μM) and 12.50-fold (from 5.53 μM to 69.14 μM), respectively, compared with their contents in non-fermented licorice. Monascus-fermented licorice exhibited 82.5% of the ERβ binding activity of that observed in the positive control (17 β-estradiol), whereas the non-fermented licorice exhibited 54.1% of the binding activity in an in vivo ER binding assay. The increase in the ERβ binding activity was associated with increases in liquiritigenin and isoliquiritigenin contents. Liquiritigenin acts as a selective ligand for ERβ, which alleviates menopausal symptoms with fewer side effects, such as heart disease and hypertension, compared with a ligand for ERα. In addition, Monascus-fermented licorice contained 731 mg/kg of monacolin K, one of the metabolites produced by Monascus that reduces serum cholesterol. Therefore, Monascus-fermented licorice is a promising material for the prevention and treatment of menopausal syndrome with fewer side effects.