Shin Yong-Wook, Bae Eun-Ah, Lee Bomi, Lee Seung Ho, Kim Jeong Ah, Kim Yeong-Shik, Kim Dong-Hyun
College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University, Dongdaemun-ku, Seoul, Korea.
Planta Med. 2007 Mar;73(3):257-61. doi: 10.1055/s-2007-967126. Epub 2007 Feb 28.
Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L., Leguminosae) is frequently used in traditional medicine to treat inflammatory and allergic diseases. In this study, the main components (glycyrrhizin, 18beta-glycyrrhetinic acid, isoliquiritin, and liquiritigenin) were isolated from licorice, and their anti-allergic effects, such as antiscratching behavior and IgE production-inhibitory activity, were evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. Liquiritigenin and 18beta-glycyrrhetinic acid most potently inhibited the degranulation of RBL-2H3 cells induced by IgE with the antigen (DNP-HSA) and rat peritoneal mast cells induced by compound 48/80. Liquiritigenin and 18beta-glycyrrhetinic acid potently inhibited the passive cutaneous anaphylactic reaction as well as the scratching behavior in mice induced by compound 48/80. These components inhibited the production of IgE in ovalbumin-induced asthma mice but liquiritigenin had little effect. This suggests that the antiallergic effects of licorice are mainly due to glycyrrhizin, 18beta-glycyrrhetinic acid, and liquiritigenin, which can relieve IgE-induced allergic diseases such as dermatitis and asthma.
甘草（Glycyrrhiza glabra L.，豆科）在传统医学中常用于治疗炎症和过敏性疾病。在本研究中，从甘草中分离出主要成分（甘草酸、18β-甘草次酸、异甘草素和甘草素），并在体外和体内评估了它们的抗过敏作用，如抗抓挠行为和抑制IgE产生的活性。甘草素和18β-甘草次酸最有效地抑制了由IgE与抗原（DNP-HSA）诱导的RBL-2H3细胞脱颗粒以及由化合物48/80诱导的大鼠腹膜肥大细胞脱颗粒。甘草素和18β-甘草次酸有效抑制了被动皮肤过敏反应以及化合物48/80诱导的小鼠抓挠行为。这些成分抑制了卵清蛋白诱导的哮喘小鼠中IgE的产生，但甘草素的作用很小。这表明甘草的抗过敏作用主要归因于甘草酸、18β-甘草次酸和甘草素，它们可以缓解IgE诱导的过敏性疾病，如皮炎和哮喘。
