• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제22권6호
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• pp.800-805
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• 2012

Licochalcone E was firstly isolated from licorice root in 2005, which belongs to the retrochalcone family. Studies on the biological activities of licochalcone E were in the initial stage. In the study, we demonstrated that licochalcone E has potent antimicrobial property against Staphylococcus aureus. Furthermore, via hemolysis, Western blot, and real-time RT-PCR assays, we have shown that subinhibitory concentrations of licochalcone E dose-dependently reduces the production of ${\alpha}$-toxin in both methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). The data suggest that licochalcone E may deserve further investigation as a potential therapeutic against S. aureus infections, or the structure of licochalcone E may be used as a basis for chemical synthesis of novel anti-S. aureus compounds.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제21권5호
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• pp.656-663
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• 2011

Licochalcone은 감초의 주요 생리활성 물질로 항균작용, 항암작용 등의 다양한 효과가 있는 것으로 알려져 있다. 최근 감초로부터 licochalcone E가 분리, 동정 되었을 뿐만 아니라, 효과적인 licochalcone E의 합성을 위해 다양한 합성법이 개발되고 있다. 반면, licochalcone E의 생리활성 연구는 매우 미비한 상태이다. 본 연구는 licochclcone E의 항염증 활성과 그 기전의 일단을 밝히는 것을 목적으로 진행 되었다. 생쥐의 대식세포주인 RAW264.7 세포에 lipopolysaccharide (LPS)를 처리 염증반응을 유도하고, licochalcone E를 처리한 한 결과, licochalconeE는 LPS 처리에 의한 nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) 및 염증성 사이토카인의 분비를 현저히 억제시키는 것을 관찰 할 수 있었으며, NO와 $PGE_2$ 생합성효소인 iNOS와 COX-2 단백질의 발현 또한 억제시킴을 확인할 수 있었다. 이러한 licochalcone E의 항염증 활성의 기전을 밝히기 위해 염증반응에 핵심적인 역할을 하는 전사인자인 nuclear factor-${\kappa}$B (NF-${\kappa}$B)의 활성을 관찰한 결과, licochalcone E의 처리가 NF-${\kappa}$B의 DNA결합을 억제하는 것을 확인 하였다. 이러한 연구결과로 볼 때 licochalcone E가 NF-${\kappa}$B의 활성을 억제하여, 염증반응의 매개물질인 NO, $PGE_2$, 염증성 사이토카인 등의 생성을 억제함으로 항염증활성을 나타내는 것으로 판단된다.

• 약학회지
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• 제53권6호
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• pp.321-327
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• 2009

Licochalcone A is a chalcone isolated from the roots of Glycyrrhiza inflate. In this study, we examined the effects of licochalonce A on the production of cytokines in LPS-activated macrophages. Licochalcone A inhibited the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-1$\beta$, IL-6, and TNF-$\alpha$. The reduced secretion of proinflammatory cytokines is related to the differences in the mRNA expression of IL-1$\beta$, IL-6, and TNF-$\alpha$. Moreover, licochalcone A inhibited the mRNA expression of IL-12p40, IL-18, and IL-23p19. To investigate its mechanism, we performed gel shift assay. Licochalcone A reduced nuclear NF-${\kappa}B$ binding activity in LPS-activated RAW264.7 cells. Taken together, these results suggest that licochalcone A has anti-inflammatory effects in LPS-activated macrophages and its mechanism could be through the down-regulation of binding to the ${\kappa}B$ site.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제31권4호
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• pp.1085-1087
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• 2010

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제34권1호
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• pp.54-58
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• 2013

Licochalcones, derived from the dried roots of Glycyrrhiza inflata, have been reported to show various biological activities including antitumor, antiparasitic, antileishmanial, antioxidative, superoxide scavenging, antibacterial, and PTP1B activity. Licochalcone D has an allyl group on ring A instead of ring B, however, most other natural licochalcones possess the group on ring B. Total synthesis of licochalcone D has not been reported even possessing the strongest anti-inflammatory activity. Therefore, the first total synthesis of licochalcone D has been developed by using water-accelerated [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement method.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제34권6호
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• pp.1917-1920
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• 2013

• Toxicological Research
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• 제30권1호
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• pp.19-25
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• 2014

Licochalcone (LC), a major phenolic retrochalcone from licorice, has anti-inflammatory activity. This study investigated the effects of licochalcone A (LCA) and licochalcone E (LCE) on Liver X receptor-${\alpha}$ ($LXR{\alpha}$)-mediated lipogenic gene expression and the molecular mechanisms underlying those effects. LCA and LCE antagonized the ability of $LXR{\alpha}$ agonists (T0901317 or GW3965) to increase sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c) expression and thereby inhibited target gene expression (e.g., FAS and ACC) in HepG2 cells. Moreover, treatment with LCA and LCE impaired $LXR{\alpha}/RXR{\alpha}$-induced CYP7A1-LXRE-luciferase (CYP7A1) transactivation. The AMPK-Sirt1 signaling pathway is an important regulator of energy metabolism and, therefore, a potential therapeutic target for metabolic diseases, including hepatic steatosis. We found here that LCE increased AMPK phosphorylation and Sirt1 expression. We conclude that LC inhibits SREBP-1c-mediated hepatic lipogenesis via activation of the AMPK/Sirt1 signaling pathway.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제17권1호
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• pp.85-88
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• 2011

Tumor angiogenesis, which is essential for tumor growth and tumor metastasis, depends on angiogenic factors produced by tumor cells and/or infiltrating cells such as endothelial cells and immune cells in tumor tissue. Previously, we reported that licochalcone A (LicA), an important bioactive compound of Glycyrrhiza inflate, suppresses angiogenesis, tumor growth and metastasis. In this study, we evaluated the effect of LicA on angiogenin production in colon cancer cells because angiogenin is an essential factor to regulate angiogenesis and tumor progression. When we examined the angiogenin levels in three human colon cancer cells, HT-29, SW480 and Caco-2, LicA treatment significantly reduced the amounts of angiogenin among three cancer cell lines. In an in vivo study in which mice were implanted with HT-29 cells, oral administration of LicA reduced angiogenin in tumor tissues when compared with vehicle-administered mice. These results suggest that reduced angiogenin in response to LicA treatment may play essential role to inhibit tumor growth, angiogenesis as well as metastasis.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제30권12호
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• pp.2959-2961
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• 2009

Total synthesis of (${\pm}$)-licochalcone E (1), an allyl retrochalcone isolated from roots of Glycyrrhiza inflata, has been achieved from 4-tetrahydropyranyloxyacetophenone (7) with (E)-2-methoxy-4-(2-methyl-2-butenyloxy)benzaldehyde (6) or (Z)-2-methoxy-4-(2-methyl-2-butenyloxy)-benzaldehyde (11) through a convergent strategy involving aldol condensation and Claisen rearrangement as key steps.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• 제8권3호
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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.