Licorice Plant Research Articles

Coupling effects of irrigation amount and fertilization rate on growth and bioactive components of four-year-old licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch) in arid regions of Xinjiang

Water scarcity, over-fertilization, and improper crop management practices severely limit the sustainable cultivation of licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch) in the arid regions of Xinjiang. To elucidate the impacts of integrated water and fertilizer management on the growth characteristics and bioactive components (glycyrrhizic acid and liquiritin) of four-year-old licorice plants, a comprehensive four-year field experiment was conducted from 2019 to 2022.The experiment included four irrigation levels (W1: 2500 m³/ha, W2: 4000 m³/ha, W3: 5500 m³/ha, W4: 7000 m³/ha) and four fertilization rates (F1: 305 kg/ha, F2: 610 kg/ha, F3: 915 kg/ha, F4: 1220 kg/ha), following a completely randomized design. Results indicated that both irrigation and fertilization significantly influenced plant height, root length, root weight, root diameter, leaf area index, and root-to-shoot ratio. The optimal growth characteristics were observed under the W2F2 treatment. The contents of glycyrrhizic acid and liquiritin varied significantly among different water and fertilizer treatments, with the highest levels observed under the W2F2 treatment. Excessive irrigation (W4) and over-fertilization (F4) led to a decrease in these bioactive components. A comprehensive evaluation of the growth characteristics and bioactive components revealed that the ideal irrigation and fertilization parameters were 4000 m³/ha and 610 kg/ha, respectively. These parameters optimized plant development and bioactive component accumulation while ensuring efficient resource use. This study provides scientific evidence for optimizing irrigation and fertilization strategies to enhance licorice yield in arid regions, thereby supporting sustainable agricultural practices and improving economic benefits.

The interaction effect of water deficit stress and seaweed extract on phytochemical characteristics and antioxidant activity of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.).

With increasing drought stress due to climate change and water scarcity, the agricultural sector has sought innovative strategies to mitigate the detrimental effects on crop productivity. One approach that has received significant attention is the use of fertilizers and biostimulants as potential means of alleviating drought stress. In this study, five different irrigation levels including 100% (control), 80% (slight stress), 60% (mild stress), 40% (moderate stress), and 20% (severe stress) of field capacity (FC) and seaweed extract (SWE) at three concentrations (0, 5, and 10 g/L) were applied to the pots containing one-year-old licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) plants in a factorial completely randomized design experiment with three replications for eight weeks. The glycyrrhizic acid content increased with water stress intensity without the application of SWE until severe (20% FC) water stress treatment. The application of 10 g/L SWE under 100% FC led to a significant increase in the glycyrrhizic acid value (32.5±0.889 mg/g DW) compared with non-SWE application (30.0±1.040 mg/g DW). The maximum glabridin content (0.270±0.010 mg/g DW) was obtained under irrigation of 20% field capacity with 10 g/L SWE application. In addition, the activity of the all studied enzymes such as APX (ascorbate peroxidase), CAT (catalase), POD (peroxidase), and SOD (superoxide dismutase) were boosted by increasing the water stress levels. The use of SWE further enhanced the increase of some of these metabolites and enzymes, which, in turn, helped the plant to tolerate stress conditions through the scavenging of more ROS (Reactive oxygen species), wherein for this purpose, the SWE 10 g/L was more effective than other concentration. The plants efficiently eliminated ROS driven from drought stress by both non-enzymatic and enzymatic systems.

Synergistic Inhibition of Colorectal Cancer Cells by Autocrine Motility Factor Peptide and Glycyrrhetinic Acid.

Anti-cancer peptides are a powerful drug concept that induces cancer cell death through growth inhibition and membrane disruption, providing broad efficacy. The autocrine motility factor (AMF) interacts with the AMF receptor, regulating cancer cell motility, proliferation, metastasis, and angiogenesis through autocrine and paracrine pathways. However, studies verifying the synergistic effect of the combined use of anti-cancer drugs extracted from plants and AMF treatment are insufficient. The effects of AMF-derived peptide sequences were evaluated in HT29 and SW620 colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines. The study assessed the impact of AMF peptides on cell proliferation, colony formation, the Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate/Reduced Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate (NADP+/NADPH) ratio, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in these CRC cells. Additionally, the combined effect of AMF peptides and glycyrrhetinic acid (GA), a compound derived from licorice plants, was investigated by analyzing cell proliferation, colony formation, ROS production, and cell cycle progression in CRC cells. AMF peptides significantly inhibited CRC cell growth (p < 0.05), decreased colony formation (p < 0.05), and increased the NADP+/NADPH ratio (p < 0.05) and ROS production (p < 0.001). When combined with GA, AMF peptides enhanced GA's effects on CRC cells, further suppressing cell growth (p < 0.05) and colony formation (p < 0.05) while increasing ROS generation (p < 0.05). The synergy between AMF peptides and GA, derived from licorice plants, suggests the potential for combined peptide-phytochemical therapy for treating CRC.

Isoliquiritigenin: A natural compound with a promising role in inhibiting breast cancer lung metastasis

Background and aimIsoliquiritigenin (ISL) is a dietary bioactive compound that is derived from the roots of licorice and various other plants. Accumulating evidence suggests that ISL has noteworthy anticancer activity in a variety of cancer cells, but it is currently unknown how ISL affects the invasion and migration of breast cancer (BC) cells. Hence, the purpose of this study to determine the inhibitory effect of ISL on cell invasion, migration, and metastasis of BC cells in 4T1-treated lung metastatic animal models. Experimental ProcedureISL was found to inhibit BC lung metastasis, as confirmed by MTT assay, clonogenic assay, wound healing assay, transwell assay, histological analysis, western blot and bioluminescence assay in the xenograft model. Results and conclusionThe in vitro studies revealed that ISL treatment significantly prevented BC cell invasion and migration for 24 h. ISL decreased the protein expressions of PI3K, Akt, p-Akt, mTOR, p-mTOR, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9, and N-cadherin , thereby inhibiting BC cell invasion. In addition, ISL decreased MMP-2/9 and N-cadherin expression in lung tissues and reduced mouse 4T1 BC cell lung metastasis. Based on these findings, it suggests that ISL inhibits cell migration and invasion in BC cells by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and decreasing the activation of MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression. Therefore, ISL may be useful in managing BC invasion and metastasis.

Self-assembled lyotropic liquid crystals from natural surfactant: A study on their structural, rheological and antimicrobial behaviour

Soft self-assembled systems with smart functions have been explored over the past decades for diverse applications. However, the toxicity of synthetic surfactant based self-assembled systems and their stability always remain a point of concern. There is always a great quest to find an alternative to overcome such shortcomings of self-assembled systems. Hence, in this context, we made an effort to engineer self-assembled lyotropic liquid crystals (LLCs) using different concentrations of the medicinal plant Glycyrrhiza glabra L. in the nonaqueous polar media of glycerol, ethylene glycol and formamide. These nonaqueous solvents with considerable polarity, high cohesive energy, dipole moment and hydrogen bonding ability, not only offer the perfect environment for self-assembly, but also provide longtime stability. Nematic lyotropic ordering is obtained for studied systems at different concentrations of Glycyrrhiza glabra L./ nonaqueous solvents as confirmed via polarising optical microscopy (POM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Electrostatic and hydrogen bonding interactions among polar solvents and amphiphilic Glycyrrhiza glabra L. molecules could be responsible for nematic ordering. FTIR spectroscopy is employed to confirm the hydrogen bonding in LLCs. The prepared LLCs are studied through static, dynamic rheology under the shear range 1–100 s-1 to explore their fluidic behaviour and establish correlation with structural parameters. The studied LLC systems from three solvents exhibit non-Newtonian shear thinning behaviour at all concentrations. The dynamic rheology tests indicate the elastic behaviour of all LLC systems. LLCs derived from glycerol exhibit soft-solid gel-like behaviour, while weak gel-type behaviour is observed for ethylene glycol and formamide-based LLCs. Considering the medicinal value of prepared LLCs, their antibacterial activity has been checked against the gram-positive bacteria Bacillus subtilis. LLC phases show strong antibacterial activity, about 2–3 times better than that of the standard drug streptomycin used for this study.

Exploration of formation and in vitro release mechanism of supramolecular self-assembled Licochalcone A eutectogel for food application

Licochalcone A (LCA) is extracted from licorice plants and used as a food additive. Citric acid (CA) and alanine (Ala) are food additives with good regulatory functions. This study aims to investigate the formation and in vitro release mechanism of the LCA eutectogel using supramolecular self-assembly technology. The mechanism of self-assembly indicates that the resulting eutectogel has strong intermolecular interactions. The formation mechanism of LCA eutectogel suggests that LCA is dispersed in nano form in the DES solution before self-assembly and dispersed in molecular form in the eutectogel after self-assembly. Mesoscopic MD simulation studies indicate that the interaction energy between LCA Ala-CA(5:5) eutectogel and the solvent interface is relatively low, suggesting it may have a better drug release rate, consistent with the in vitro release results. In conclusion, the study successfully prepares LCA eutectogel and provides theoretical guidance for the development and application of novel eutectogel for food application.

ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF GLYCYRRHIZA GLABRA L., ITS IMPORTANCE IN AGRICULTURE AND MEDICINE

In this article, a deep scientific analysis of the unique properties of the medicinal plant Glycyrrhiza glabra L., its importance and necessity in agriculture is given, based on which the relevance of this topic is scientifically explained in a wide way.

HEPATOPROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF GLYCYRRHIZ GLABRA AND CICORIUM INTYBUS IN PARACETAMOL INDUCED TOXICITY IN RATTUS NORVEGICUS

Aims and Objectives:The present study was aimed to determine hepatoprotective role of two plants Glycyrrhiza glabra and Cicorium intybus against paracetamol (acetaminophen) exposure hepatotoxicity in albino rats (Rattus norvegicus). It has been demonstrated that G. glabra and C.intybus extract has biological capabilities of anti-oxidation, detoxification and anti-infection. Methodology:So, to evaluate the effects of G. glabra and C.intyubs administration on the liver’s histology and some biochemical parameters were investigated. Rattus norvegicus male rats (n= 48) were randomly distributed into four groups. Experimental groups were given acetaminophen with 2.5mg/kg BW /day for 5 days respectively to induce hepatotoxicity, then aqueous extract of G. glabra (Roots) and C.intybus (Seeds) at 200 mg/kg/day was given for a period of 10, 20 and 30 days. After the completion of experiment, tissues were taken and blood was collected in order to evaluate histopathological changes, and for studies of biochemical parameters separately. The obtained results showed hepatic necrosis and centrilobular hepatic congestion with a decrease in hepatocytes diameter, and increase in sinusoidal spaces was also observed in the liver of treated rats. Results:Liver enzymes ALP, AST and ALT and other biochemical factors Albumin, Bilirubin showed a significant increase in 200 mg/kg extract received rats in comparison with control (P&lt;0.05) and (P&lt;0.01). G.glabra and C.intybus have shown a remarkable and effective impact on RLW which was statistically significant (P&lt;0.05), percentage increase and decrease showed that both plants have good effective on the recovery of body weight, affected by the paracetamol (acetaminophen ) toxicity.Some harmful effects of C.intybus were seen on integrity of liver in 30 days consumption of this plant.

18-β-Glycyrrhetinic acid encapsulated PLGA nanoparticles attenuate lung cancer proliferation and migration

Conventional treatment methods to treat lung cancer include radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. However, they cause severe adverse effects and recurrence risk. 18-β-glycyrrhetinic acid (18-β-Gly), a naturally occurring bioactive compound extracted from the liquorice plant has demonstrated anticancer potential by suppressing cancer cell growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis. Although 18-β-Gly possesses potential therapeutic abilities, the application of 18-β-Gly into clinical practices is hindered due to its inferior physicochemical characteristics such as poor bioavailability and low water solubility. Poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) is a synthetic polymer with great tuneable options for a nano-drug delivery system used for various diseases, including cancer. Formulating 18-β-Gly into PLGA has helped to overcome challenges imposed by the poor physicochemical characteristics of 18-β-Gly. For this research, 18-β-Gly-PLGA was tested for its anticancer ability using A549 human lung adenocarcinoma lines found in lung cancer. Findings showed that 18-β-Gly-PLGA has favourable physicochemical characteristics, such as sustained in vitro drug release and good entrapment efficiency. 18-β-Gly-PLGA was also able to inhibit 15% and 50% proliferation of A549 cells at 2.5 μM and 50 μM respectively and 28% inhibition of A549 cell migration at 5 μM concentration. Oncogenes such as KRT18, EGFR, BRAF and KRAS were significantly downregulated by 43%, 19.3%, 14.7% and 13.7% respectively as part of the anticancer effects and the underlying mechanism of 18-β-Gly-PLGA. Significant reduction in the expression of cancer proliferation and migration-associated proteins such as receptor tyrosine-protein kinase ErbB2, survivin, macrophage colony-stimulating factor and mesothelin was also observed. The findings of this study demonstrate the promising potential of 18-β-Gly-PLGA as a potential anticancer agent.

Exploring the Therapeutic Potential of Glycyrrhizic Acid in Liver Implication in Dengue Infection: A Case Report

Dengue is one of the most common infectious diseases affecting humans. The virus is transmitted between humans by the Aedes mosquito. It occurs hyperendemically in tropical and subtropical climates worldwide. Dengue infection can affect numerous organs, with the liver being the most frequently affected organ. The clinical spectrum of liver disorders ranges from mild elevation of transaminase enzymes to severe conditions such as acute liver failure. Several mechanisms have been proposed to describe hepatic dysfunction observed in dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever, such as immunological injury, hypoxic injury, and direct viral damage due to reduced hepatic perfusion during shock. Glycyrrhizic acid, extracted in the form of glycyrrhizin from the root of the licorice plant Glycyrrhiza glabra, is referred to as Stronger Neo-Minophagen-C (SNMC®). It has shown effectiveness in reducing serum aminotransferase and bilirubin levels, attenuating hepatocyte apoptosis, and producing endogenous interferon. The following is a case report of a 23-year-old woman with dengue fever and elevated liver enzyme level. The patient’s vital signs were stable. A physical examination revealed no abnormalities. A complete blood count test showed thrombocytopenia without an elevation of the hematocrit. AST level was 901 U/L after admission. Causes of other hepatitis infections, such as hepatitis A, B, and C, were excluded. The dengue IgM and IgG antibody levels were reactive. After several days of hospitalization, the patient experienced clinical improvement after supportive therapy and the administration of glicyrrhizic acid or SNMC®.

Phenolic Compounds and Biological Activity of Extracts of Calli and Native Licorice Plants

Phenolic Compounds and Biological Activity of Extracts of Calli and Native Licorice Plants

Effect of irrigation regimes on the growth and development of seed plants of smooth licorice plant

Effect of irrigation regimes on the growth and development of seed plants of smooth licorice plant

Chemical constituents of Dianthus superbus, Matricaria chamomilla and Glycyrrhiza glabra

Currently, one of the main directions of science is the study of plants with medicinal properties, the determination of biological activity and its use for medical purposes. In the present study, the quantitative and qualitative composition of phytochemical components of plants Dianthus superbus, Matricaria chamomilla and Glycyrrhiza glabra growing in the Republic of Kazakhstan were investigated for the first time. The results of our studies showed the maximum amount of organic acids (0,317 %) and flavonoids (0,296 %) in the plant Dianthus superbus. The content of extractive substances Matricaria chamomilla (30,01 %) and Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (35,3 %), and the content of polysaccharides is higher in plants Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (1,475 %) and Dianthus superbus (1,434 %). The plant Matricaria chamomilla showed good results in the amount of elements needed daily by the human body, including – K (2876,70 µg/ml), Na (646,36 µg/ml), Mg (270,75 µg/ml), Ca (517,55 µg/ml), Fe (38,30 µg/ml) and Zn (2,008 µg/ml). The results of the conducted analyses showed that the studied objects contain a sufficient amount of bioactive substances that can in the future expand the range of effective domestic medicines based on plant raw materials of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Evaluation of antioxidant activity and heavy metals content in licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) growing wild in Armenia

In this study, for the first time an analysis of the metal content in extracts obtained from licorice roots grown in the forests of five different regions in Armenia was conducted. Our findings indicated that the concentrations of metals in the extracts did not exceed the permissible limits set by regulatory standards. Furthermore, we investigated the quantitative composition of flavonoids, tannins, and anthocyanins in the licorice roots, which had not been previously studied. Our results revealed that the composition of these substances is significantly influenced by the soil characteristics of the region. To assess the antioxidant properties of the licorice extract, we employed the approach known as the kinetics of competitive reaction method. Our study successfully demonstrated that the extract derived from the roots of the licorice plant, collected from all five regions under study, exhibited notable antioxidant properties.

Matrine and Oxymatrine: evaluating the gene mutation potential using in silico tools and the bacterial reverse mutation assay (Ames test).

The quinolizidine alkaloids matrine and its N-oxide oxymatrine occur in plants of the genus Sophora. Recently, matrine was sporadically detected in liquorice products. Morphological similarity of the liquorice plant Glycyrrhiza glabra with Sophora species and resulting confusion during harvesting may explain this contamination, but use of matrine as pesticide has also been reported. The detection of matrine in liquorice products raised concern as some studies suggested a genotoxic activity of matrine and oxymatrine. However, these studies are fraught with uncertainties, putting the reliability and robustness into question. Another issue was that Sophora root extracts were usually tested instead of pure matrine and oxymatrine. The aim of this work was therefore to determine whether matrine and oxymatrine have potential for causing gene mutations. In a first step and to support a weight-of-evidence analysis, in silico predictions were performed to improve the database using expert and statistical systems by VEGA, Leadscope (Instem®), and Nexus (Lhasa Limited). Unfortunately, the confidence levels of the predictions were insufficient to either identify or exclude a mutagenic potential. Thus, in order to obtain reliable results, the bacterial reverse mutation assay (Ames test) was carried out in accordance with OECD Test Guideline 471. The test set included the plate incorporation and the preincubation assay. It was performed with five different bacterial strains in the presence or absence of metabolic activation. Neither matrine nor oxymatrine induced a significant increase in the number of revertants under any of the selected experimental conditions. Overall, it can be concluded that matrine and oxymatrine are unlikely to have a gene mutation potential. Any positive findings with Sophora extracts in the Ames test may be related to other components. Notably, the results also indicated a need to extend the application domain of respective (Q)SAR tools to secondary plant metabolites.

Synthesis of Bio-Active Silver Nanoparticles against Human Lung Cancer Cell Line (A549) with Little Toxicity to Normal Cell Line (WRL68).

Nanomaterials are characterized by mechanical, thermal, chemical, biological, and other properties that are different from the basic materials that make them up due to their large surface area to size ratio and quantum effect. There are multiple ways to produce nanomaterials mechanically, chemically, and physically, but they are not safe for the environment. Researchers have sought to find safe methods for the production of nanomaterials, such as green manufacturing, that is, manufacturing nanomaterials from plants. Moreover, there are other sources, such as bacteria or fungi that are used in the production of nanomaterials. This study aimed to try to find an alternative to chemically manufactured drugs, such as those used in the treatment of human cancers, through nanotechnology and from plant sources (green-biosynthesis), which is characterized by abundance and low economic cost. Silver nanoparticles were green-synthesized using an aqueous extract of the licorice plant, their properties were diagnosed, and their differences with the crude aqueous extract were determined. The sizes of nanoparticles were within the range of 60.27-89.80 nm, while the sizes of the crude aqueous extract particles were within the range of 53.96-113.1 nm. Atomic force microscopy was used to find out the shapes, topography, roughness, and protrusions of the surfaces of biosynthesized AgNPs and aqueous extract particles, where the roughness rate of the nanoparticles was 75.54 nm, while it appeared. In vitro test of AgNPs showed a higher anti-lung cancer activity against the A549 cell line than that of the extract at an inhibitory concentration for half of the cells used in the experiment (IC50) of 58.78 µg/ml while the IC50 of the extract was 67.44 µg/ml. The results showed that the toxicity of AgNPs on the normal hepatocyte line (WRL68) was less than that of the aqueous extract, with IC50 concentrations of 244.2 and 147.0 µg/ml, respectively. It is worth mentioning that the lower IC50 led to higher toxicity.

A comprehensive survey: prevention of female infertility by nutrition

There is an important relationship between nutrition and infertility in women. Most diseases that cause infertility in women can be prevented and treated with proper nutrition. The present study aims to determine the role of nutrition in women's fertility. Samples of this study are all articles published in magazines, books, and theses from the Web Of Sciences, PubMed, Medline, Elsevier, and Google Scholar search engines with the keywords of "female infertility," "nutrition," "diet," "fertility outcomes," "folate," "iron," "omega-3 fatty acids", and "Vitamin." In the beginning, 1052 articles were found, and after reviewing the STROBE checklist, 38 articles were selected. After reviewing the inclusion and exclusion criteria and evaluation, 23 articles were included in the study. Various studies showed that proper nutrition improves women's ovulation parameters and pregnancy outcomes. The reviewed studies suggested a balance between protein and carbohydrates, consuming foods with a low glycemic index, high fiber diet, eating five meals a day, daily consumption of essential fatty acids such as omega 3 and 6, use of organic materials, low-fat proteins, complex carbohydrates, folic acid, antioxidants, vitamins, and foods that cause regular ovulation such as cod liver oil, licorice plant, five-finger plant, thistle, and cinnamon. The results of this comprehensive study indicate that proper nutrition through adequate consumption of micronutrients can positively impact women's fertility. These findings highlight the potential contribution of diet interventions to clinical practice for infertility prevention and management.

APPLICATION OF VEGETABLE OILS AS NATURAL, GREEN AND SUSTAINABLE SOLVENTS FOR EXTRACTION OF PLANT MATERIALS: STUDY OF PHYTOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION AND CHEMICAL PROFILING OF VARIOUS OLEO-EXTRACTS OF GLYCYRRHIZA GLABRA

In the last decade there is a growing interest in application of green and more friendly environment solvents in both industrial and academia sectors due to various environmental concerns. Vegetable oils has been used as effective natural non-toxic and environment-friendly solvents for extraction of various classes of phytochemical constituents from different herbs. In the present study, various edible vegetable oils like palm oil, rice bran oil, sesame oil and sunflower oil were used for preparation of oleoextract of a medicinal plant Glycyrrhiza glabra, commonly known as Licorice. The resulting extracts were analyzed by HPTLC. Determination of Total Phenolic Contents (TPC) and Total Flavonoid Contents (TFC) was carried out by UV-Vis spectrophotometry method for standardization of the oleo-extracts of the herb. The HPTLC fingerprint showed presence of licorice components and phenolics and flavonoids in various oleo-extracts of the herb. So the oils exhibited satisfactory solvent effects with capability of extracting various phytochemicals from licorice and can be a used as a greener, safer and alternative approach to petrochemical solvents for herbal drug extraction and enrichment of phytoconstituents.

Isoliquiritigenin induces HMOX1 and GPX4-mediated ferroptosis in gallbladder cancer cells.

Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is the most common malignant tumor of biliary tract. Isoliquiritigenin (ISL) is a natural compound with chalcone structure extracted from the roots of licorice and other plants. Relevant studies have shown that ISL has a strong anti-tumor ability in various types of tumors. However, the research of ISL against GBC has not been reported, which needs to be further investigated. The effects of ISL against GBC cells in vitro and in vivo were characterized by cytotoxicity test, RNA-sequencing, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, reactive oxygen species (ROS) detection, lipid peroxidation detection, ferrous ion detection, glutathione disulphide/glutathione (GSSG/GSH) detection, lentivirus transfection, nude mice tumorigenesis experiment and immunohistochemistry. ISL significantly inhibited the proliferation of GBC cells in vitro . The results of transcriptome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis showed that ferroptosis was the main pathway of ISL inhibiting the proliferation of GBC, and HMOX1 and GPX4 were the key molecules of ISL-induced ferroptosis. Knockdown of HMOX1 or overexpression of GPX4 can reduce the sensitivity of GBC cells to ISL-induced ferroptosis and significantly restore the viability of GBC cells. Moreover, ISL significantly reversed the iron content, ROS level, lipid peroxidation level and GSSG/GSH ratio of GBC cells. Finally, ISL significantly inhibited the growth of GBC in vivo and regulated the ferroptosis of GBC by mediating HMOX1 and GPX4 . ISL induced ferroptosis in GBC mainly by activating p62-Keap1-Nrf2-HMOX1 signaling pathway and down-regulating GPX4 in vitro and in vivo . This evidence may provide a new direction for the treatment of GBC.

Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Activity of Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) Plant Against Representative Oral pathogens

Introduction: Oral health is important for general health because, without proper oral hygiene, bacteria can reach levels that might lead to oral infections. Pathogens' resistance to traditional antibiotic products available on the market represents a point of common interest to the scientific community throughout the world and has led to a pressing need to develop new and innovative antimicrobial agents, and among the potential sources of new agents, plants have represented a good alternative. This research is looking at the biological activities of the licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) plant as an antimicrobial agent for oral infections. Method: The antimicrobial activities of various extract fractions prepared from methanol, chloroform, and cyclohexane were evaluated against selected oral pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candia albicans, using the agar-well diffusion method. Results: The results indicated that methanolic extract had antimicrobial activity against the selected isolates, with a zone of inhibition equal to 23mm for S. aureus, 14mm for E. coli, 15mm for P. aeruginosa, and 22mm for C. albicans. Regarding sensitivity, the results showed that S. aureus and C. albicans were the most sensitive isolates toward the tested licorice extracts. The results also showed that licorice extract in chloroform and cyclohexane had no activity against the tested isolates of Gram-negative bacteria. Conclusion: In conclusion, our study provides further evidence of the antimicrobial activity of G. glabra, especially against the selected isolates, and encourages the use of this plant in a suitable dosage form to treat the oral cavity infection that could possibly be caused by the tested microbes.