Abstract
The various species that comprise the genus Glycyrrhiza (Licorice) have long been used as oriental herbal medicines in Asian countries. Wongam (WG), which is a new variety of Glycyrrhiza, was developed in Korea to overcome the limitations of low productivity, environmental restrictions, and an insufficient presence of glycyrrhizic acid and liquiritigenin. In this study, we evaluated WG extract’s genotoxicity through an in vitro bacterial reverse mutation (AMES) test, an in vitro chromosome aberration test, and an in vivo mouse bone marrow micronucleus test. In the AMES test, WG extract at concentrations of up to 5000 µg/plate showed no genotoxicity regardless of S9 mix. No chromosome aberrations appeared after 6 h in 1400 µg/mL WG extract regardless of S9 mix or in 1100 µg/mL WG extract after 24 h without S9 mix. Nor was there a significant increase in the number of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes to total erythrocytes up to 5000 mg/kg/day for 2 days detected in the micronucleus test. These results confirm that WG extract is safe for use as an herbal medicine, as it precipitates no detectable genotoxic effects.
Highlights
The plant of the Glycyrrhiza genus (Licorice), which belongs to the family Leguminosae, is being used as a sweetener and traditional herbal medicine with a long history
Of the 21 species that comprise the genus Glycyrrhiza, only three produce glycyrrhizin (G. uralensis Fisch., G. glabra L., and G. inflata Batal.), the primary bioactive compound [8,9]. Each of these species of licorice are listed in the Korean Pharmacopoeia (KP) (12th, MFDS 2020). When these Glycyrrhiza species are cultivated in Korea, the active component is not present in sufficient quantities to satisfy the standards of the KP, which requires more than 2.5% of glycyrrhizin and 0.7% of liquiritigenin to be considered ‘adequate’
A sterility check of WG extract and the S9 mix indicated that microbial colonization by the contamination was not present in any of the plates
Summary
The plant of the Glycyrrhiza genus (Licorice), which belongs to the family Leguminosae, is being used as a sweetener and traditional herbal medicine with a long history. Licorice roots and shoots have the ecological values for windbreak and sand fixation as well as the bioactive compounds with numerous pharmacological effects including anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, antioxidant, anti-ulcer, anti-fungal and neuroprotective properties [3,4,5]. Of the 21 species that comprise the genus Glycyrrhiza, only three produce glycyrrhizin (G. uralensis Fisch., G. glabra L., and G. inflata Batal.), the primary bioactive compound [8,9]. Each of these species of licorice are listed in the Korean Pharmacopoeia (KP) (12th, MFDS 2020). While WG’s properties, homogeneity, and pharmacological effects, such as enhancing immune response, being anti-allergenic, anti-neuroinflammatory, and anti-ulcerative colitis have been reported elsewhere, to date no study of its genotoxicity has been undertaken [11,12,13,14]
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