• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.235-242
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• 2007

The effects of Jujubae Fructus and Licorice extracts on the main components of Sijotang Euphorbiae Kansui Radix, Daphinis Genkwa Flos, Euphonrbiae Pekinensis Radix (KWD) treatment [KWD decoction (KWDD) and KWD powder (KWDP)] related toxicities were examined in the kidney and the liver. To select more suitable extract which effectively reduce KWD-treatment related toxicities in the body, blood biochemical and histopathological changes induced by KWD were analyzed in the rats which received treament of KWD + Jujubae Fructus or KWD + Licorice. In the present study, no KWD-treatment related blood biochemical and histopathological change in the liver was detected. However, increase of tubules containing hyaline casts and atrophic tubules in the kidney was detected as the indicators of KWDD treatment related nephrotoxicity. Addition of Jujubae Fructus (KWDDJ) or Licorice (KWDDL) extracts effectively inhibited the nephrotoxcity induced by KWDD treatments. More ameliorated effects were acquired by addition of Jujubae Fructus extract (KWDDJ) than Licorice (KWDDL). In KWDP treatment, there was no significant difference in the number of tubules containing hyaline casts in all drug treated groups compared to normal or control group except for high dose of KWDP. Both of Jujubae Fructurs and Licorice reduced high dose of KWDP treatment related nephrotoxicity, and there was no significant difference between KWDPJs and KWDPLs. It is concluded that addition of Jujubae Fructus is more suitable than Licorice in reducing the nephrotoxicty of KWDD, also it is more suitable to taking Sipjotang in the form of powder than decoction.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.280-284
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• 1996

Licorice has been widely used in combination with other herbs or synthetic drugs for various disorders. In an effort to study the effect of licorice roots (Glycyrrhizae Radix, GR) and glycyrrhizin on the hepatic glucuronidation, we have previously found that the pretreatment of GR or glycyrrhizin for 6 days resulted in a marked increase in the enzymatic activity of 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MC)-inducible hepatic UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) isozyme that has high affinity toward phenolic substrates (p-nitrophenol form, UGTIA) in Sprague-Dawley rats. As an approach to elucidate the mechanism for the enzyme activation by licorice in rat liver, we examined the levels of hepatocellular mRNAs for UGTIA upon the treatment of GR or glycyrrhizin. The hepatic mRNAs were extracted from Sprague-Dawley rats and Wistar rats after the treatment of the methanol extract of GR (1 g/kg, p.o.), glycyrrhizin (23 mg/kg, p.o.) for 6 days, or 3-MC (40 mg/kg, i.p.) for 3 days. Using the UGT1A1 CDNA as a probe, we found that the mRNAs for the enzyme were induced by 3-MC treatment while those were influenced neither by GR nor by glycyrrhizin in both strains of rats. These results indicate that the activation of rat liver UGTI A by licorice and glycyrrhizin was not due to the induction of mRNAs for the enzyme.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.37-42
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• 2015

Objectives : The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of licorice supplementation on muscle injury, plasma cortisol, testosterone and insulin sensitivity after high intensity resistance exercise. Methods : The fourteen health college male students were voluntarily participated in this study and were randomly divided into 2 groups: Control group (CON, n=7), Licorice group (LR, n=7). LR group ingested 2 g/time of licorice extract (mixed with 100 ml of water) two times/day for 10 days while the CON group ingested 100 ml of water. All subjects performed a high intensity resistance exercise (half-squat, 8 RM at 80% one-repetition maximum, 5 sets, 1min rest). Blood samples were collect before (-7) and after (0) licorice supplementation, and then 1 day, 2 day and 3 day post exercise. After 10 day treatment, plasma creatine kinase, cortisol, testosterone, glucose, insulin were measured. To determine the insulin sensitivity, HOMA-IR was calculated. Results : Plasma creatine kinase activities were significantly elevated after exercise, but there was not different between two groups. The plasma cortisol and testosterone levels were not significantly different between two groups. Plasma glucose levels were increased at 1 day and 2 day after exercise in the LR comparing with CON group (P<0.05) but plasma insulin levels were significantly lower in comparison with CON. HOMA-IR were significantly lower in the LR than CON group at 0 day to 3 day (P<0.05). Conclusions : The results of the current study suggest that licorice supplementation for 10 days might not attenuate the high-intensity exercise-induce muscle injury but may enhance the whole-body insulin sensitivity.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.584-588
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• 2006

This study was carried out to optimize the conditions for the extraction of antioxidative materials from licorice root, Glycyrrhiz glabra. Chipped licorice roots were extracted with several solvents and their antioxidative activities were tested to determine the optimal extraction solvent. Among the solvents tested, 95% ethanol gave the highest free radical scavenging activity, and was therefore chosen as the optimal extracting solvent. The optimum extraction temperature and time were $20^{\circ}C$ and 12 hr, respectively. Next, the free radical scavenging activity of the ethanol extract was compared with that of other known antioxidants such as ${\alpha}-tocopherol$, butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). Ethanol extract of licorice root had greater antioxidative activity than ${\alpha}-tocopherol$ and a similar level to that of the two synthetic antioxidants (BHA and BHT). Moreover, the antioxidative activity of the ethanol extract was inhibited neither by heat treatment at $180^{\circ}C$ for 30 min nor by treatment at extreme pH. These findings suggest that ethanol extract of G. glabra may be useful as a natural antioxidant.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.191-198
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• 2018

BACKGROUD/OBJECTIVES: Neuroinflammation plays critical role in neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). We investigated the effect of three licorice varieties, Glycyrhiza uralensis, G. glabra, and Shinwongam (SW) on a mouse model of inflammation-induced memory and cognitive deficit. MATERIALS/METHODS: C57BL/6 mice were injected with lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 2.5 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) and orally administrated G. uralensis, G. glabra, and SW extract (150 mg/kg/day). SW, a new species of licorice in Korea, was combined with G. uralensis and G. glabra. Behavioral tests, including the T-maze, novel object recognition and Morris water maze, were carried out to assess learning and memory. In addition, the expressions of inflammation-related proteins in brain tissue were measured by western blotting. RESULTS: There was a significant decrease in spatial and objective recognition memory in LPS-induced cognitive impairment group, as measured by the T-maze and novel object recognition test; however, the administration of licorice ameliorated these deficits. In addition, licorice-treated groups exhibited improved learning and memory ability in the Morris water maze. Furthermore, LPS-injected mice had up-regulated pro-inflammatory proteins, such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2, interleukin-6, via activation of toll like receptor 4 (TLR4) and nuclear factor-kappa B ($NF{\kappa}B$) pathways in the brain. However, these were attenuated by following administration of the three licorice varieties. Interestingly, the SW-administered group showed greater inhibition of iNOS and TLR4 when compared with the other licorice varieties. Furthermore, there was a significant increase in the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the brain of LPS-induced cognitively impaired mice that were administered licorice, with the greatest effect following SW treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The three licorice varieties ameliorated the inflammation-induced cognitive dysfunction by down-regulating inflammatory proteins and up-regulating BDNF. These results suggest that licorice, in particular SW, could be potential therapeutic agents against cognitive impairment.

• Mycobiology
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.230-238
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• 2023

Glabridin is a well-known active isoflavone found in the root of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) that possess a wide range of biological activity. Plant cells, hairy roots, and fungal endophytes cultures are the most important alternative methods for plant resources conservation and sustainable production of natural compounds, which has received much attention in recent decades. In the present study, an efficient culture condition was optimized for the biomass accumulation and glabridin production from fungal endophyte Aspergillus eucalypticola SBU-11AE isolated from licorice root. Type of culture medium, range of pH, and licorice root extract (as an elicitor) were tested. The results showed that the highest and lowest biomass production was observed on PCB medium (6.43 ± 0.32 g/l) and peptone malt (5.85 + 0.11 g/l), respectively. The medium culture PCB was produced the highest level of glabridin (7.26 ± 0.44 mg/l), while the lowest level (4.47 ± 0.02 mg/l) was obtained from the medium peptone malt. The highest biomass (8.51 ± 0.43 g/l) and glabridin (8.30 ± 0.51 mg/l) production were observed from the PCB medium adjusted with pH = 6, while the lowest value of both traits was obtained from the same medium with pH = 7. The highest production of total glabridin (10.85 ± 0.84 mg/l) was also obtained from the culture medium treated with 100 mg/l of the plant root extract. This information can be interestingly used for the commercialization of glabridin production for further industrial applications.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.689-695
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• 2007

Antioxidative activity and polyphenol contents of heated licorice in Korea extracted by ethyl.acetate (EtOAc) and ethyl.alcohol (EtOH) were evaluated at various heating temperatures (110, 120, 130, 140, and $150^{\circ}C$), times (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 hr), and moisture contents (10, 20, 30, 40, and 50%). Maximum extraction yields of EtOAc extract was 10.9% at $130^{\circ}C$, 3 hr, and 50% moisture content and that of EtOH extract was 25.0% at $120^{\circ}C$, 2 hr, and 20% moisture content, whereas those of control were 0.8 and 15.8%, respectively. The highest total polyphenol content was 845.67 mg/100 g in EtOH extract at $120^{\circ}C$, 2 hr, and 20% moisture content (control: 277.00 mg/100 g). The antioxidative activity ($IC_{50}$) was the highest value of 0.53 mg/mL in EtOAc extract at $120^{\circ}C$, 2 hr, and 20% moisture content (control: 12.34 mg/mL). The highest ascorbic acid equivalent antioxidant activity value of 1,584 mg ascorbic acid (AA) eq was obtained from EtOAc extract at $120^{\circ}C$, 2hr, and 40% moisture content (control: 1,263 mg AA eq). Optimum heating conditions for the improvement of antioxidative activity of licorice in Korea was $120^{\circ}C$, 2 hr, and $20{\sim}40%$ moisture content.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.273-277
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• 2002

Physiological properties of root and stolen of Gamcho (Licorice, Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fischer) were compared following irradiation at 20 kGy. The root and stolen of Gamcho were extracted with 70 % ethanol, irradiated and stoved in a 4"C refrigerator. Irradiation induced color changes, electron donating ability (EDA), and tyro-sinase inhibition effect (TIE) were investigated. The color of the non-irradiated stolen extract was darker than the non-irradiated root extract (p<0.05), but irradiation eliminated color differences between stolen and root extracts. Generally, irradiation did not affect EDA and TIE of either of the extracts. However, EDA and TIE were higher in stolen extract than in root extract, when the higher dilution factor was considered. These results indicate that the stolen of Gamcho, which is mostly wasted, is a valuable source of phytochemicals with greater EDA and TIE activities than Gamcho root.root.

• Proceedings of the SCSK Conference
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• 2003.09b
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• pp.201-212
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• 2003

The heartwood extract of Artocarpus lakoocha Roxb., which contains a potent tyrosinase inhibitor oxyresveratrol, was evaluated for its melanin-reducing efficacy in both guinea pigs and human volunteers. After 4 week-daily application of the extract dissolved in propylene glycol to the back of guinea pigs, significant reduction in melanin content was detected, with the effect greater than 3% kojic acid and solvent propylene glycol (P < 0.05). The extract was subsequently tested in female volunteers (3 groups of 20 subjects) using a parallel clinical trial with self-control. The first group received the A. lakoocha solution in propylene glycol whereas the second and the third group respectively received 0.25% licorice extract and 3% kojic acid in the same solvent. The subject in each group twice daily applied the test solution on one arm whereas the remaining arm was applied with only propylene glycol (self-control) for 12 weeks. The A. lakoocha extract was found to be the most effective agent, giving the shortest onset of significant whitening after only 4 weeks of application (P < 0.05), followed by 3% kojic acid (8 weeks) and 0.25% licorice extract (10 weeks). The whitening effect also increased with time, with the highest extent observed with A. lakoocha at week 12. The in vitro antityrosinase activity of A. lakoocha extract decreased with time upon storage at room temperature but could be stabilized by a combination of several antioxidants. In conclusion, the heartwood extract of A. lakoocha appeared to have promising potential for use as an effective and economical skin-whitening agent.

• Journal of Practical Agriculture & Fisheries Research
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.31-36
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• 2021

Cytotoxicity was evaluated in A549 lung cancer cells and RAW264.7 macrophage cells with processed aconitum, ginseng, ginger and licorice extracts. The first experiment began to affect toxicity from 100 ㎍/ml concentrations in extracts mixed with processed aconitum and ginseng. Cytotoxicity began at 1000 ㎍/ml concentrations in the second experimental extract with additional ginger, both in the first and second groups affected greater cytotoxicity in lung cancer cells than in macrophage cells, and in the third experimental extract with additional ginger and licorice. In conclusion, when using aconitum, ginseng, ginger, and licorice work in combination, which resulted in less impact on macrophage cells toxicity and more cytotoxicity in certain lung cancer cells.