Part1. What is Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Extract?
Licorice extract is extracted from the dry roots and stems of GlycyrrhizaLinn., G.uralensis Fisch., G.inflateBat. and G.glabraL. in the family Leguminosae. The residue after licorice extract (licorice extract) is extracted with lukewarm methanol, ethanol, acetone or hexane. Its functional ingredients are licorice flavone, licorice flavonoid A, licorice flavonol A, licorice coumarone, licorice isoflavone A, licorice isoflavone B, licorice isoflavone, licorice chalcone A, licorice chalcone B. It has various functions such as anti-inflammation, antibacterial, anti-virus, anti-tumor and promotion of body immunity. Licorice extract is an ideal antioxidant and preservative in the food industry, and can also be used as a food additive, seasoning, sweetener, tobacco, cigars, chocolate, beer, vanilla, liqueur Base material for preparation of flavors and so on.
Part2. Pharmacological activity
1. Antioxidant characteristics and mechanism
Glycyrrhizae extract has significant anti-oxidation effect. Studies have found that the ethanol extract of licorice root has a good scavenging effect on DPPH· and OH· and superoxide anion free radicals. The main component of licorice water extract is glycyrrhizic acid, which can scavenge superoxide anion free radicals and hydroxyl free radicals, inhibit lipid peroxidation, and has anti-aging effects. He Jianrong found that glycyrrhetinic acid has a strong scavenging effect on OH· and superoxide anion free radicals, and the scavenging ability has a significant correlation with the concentration.
2. The effect on the respiratory system
Licorice and its extracts have the effects of antitussive, expectorant, asthmatic, lung protection and anti-respiratory pathogens. Glycyrrhizic acid, glycyrrhetinic acid and flavonoids of licorice are the active ingredients of licorice pharmacological effects on the respiratory system.
3. Effects on the immune system
Licorice and its active ingredients can improve the phagocytic function of phagocytes, regulate the number and function of lymphocytes, inhibit the formation of IgE antibodies, anti-inflammatory mediators and pro-inflammatory cytokines, and have anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic pharmacological activities. Licorice flavonoids (isoliquiritigenin, isoliquiritin, liquiritigenin, licorice chalcone A, glabridin, glycyrrhizin, etc.), licorice polysaccharides and glycyrrhizic acid are its anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic active ingredients.
4. Anti-radiation effect
The total extracts of glycyrrhizin have obvious protective effects on mice with different radiation doses after different doses of irradiation.
5. Antispasmodic effect on gastrointestinal smooth muscle
Licorice decoction, licorice liquid extract, liquiritigenin, isoliquiritigenin, etc. all have obvious antispasmodic effects on the body. Flavonoids such as FM100 and isoliquiritigenin have a certain degree of inhibitory effect on isolated animal intestines at a concentration of 10-5, and can relieve intestinal spasm caused by acetylcholine, barium chloride, and histamine, while glycyrrhizin, Glycyrrhetinic acid has no obvious inhibitory effect on smooth muscle.
6. Mineralocorticoid-like effects
Licorice extract, glycyrrhizin and glycyrrhetinic acid all have the effect of promoting sodium and water retention in humans and animals. It has a good curative effect on mild Addison's disease, but it is ineffective even in large doses for severe Addison's disease that does not secrete corticosteroids. Therefore, only in the presence of aldosterone and hydrocortisone, licorice can produce corticosteroid-like effects. Small doses of glycyrrhizin can atrophy the thymus and increase the weight of the adrenal glands in rats, producing a cortisone-like effect of the glucocorticoid. When the dose is large, the hormone-like effect is not obvious, and only mineralocorticoid-like effect is shown.
7. Detoxification
Licorice extract and glycyrrhizin have a certain detoxification ability for some drug poisoning, food poisoning, and in vivo metabolite poisoning. Glycyrrhizin is an effective ingredient for detoxification. The detoxification mechanism is that glycyrrhizin has a certain adsorption effect on poisons, and its hydrolyzed product, glucuronic acid, can combine with poisons. The ability to detoxify is the result of various comprehensive factors. As a result of mouse experiments, it was found that licorice extract and glycyrrhizin had significant detoxification effects on strychnine, urethane, cocaine, benzene arsenic, and mercury chloride; It can also relieve the lethal effects of diphtheria toxin and tetanus toxin.
