Frontiers in Pharmacology (Jun 2021)

Metabolomic and Pharmacologic Insights of Aerial and Underground Parts of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. ex DC. for Maximum Utilization of Medicinal Resources

  • Liang Jiang,
  • Waheed Akram,
  • Waheed Akram,
  • Waheed Akram,
  • Biaobiao Luo,
  • Biaobiao Luo,
  • Biaobiao Luo,
  • Sheng Hu,
  • Mohammad Omar Faruque,
  • Shakeel Ahmad,
  • Shakeel Ahmad,
  • Shakeel Ahmad,
  • Nasim Ahmad Yasin,
  • Waheed Ullah Khan,
  • Aqeel Ahmad,
  • Aqeel Ahmad,
  • Aqeel Ahmad,
  • Alexander N. Shikov,
  • Jian Chen,
  • Xuebo Hu,
  • Xuebo Hu,
  • Xuebo Hu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2021.658670
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12

Abstract

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The roots of Glycyrrhiza spp. have been utilized in Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for thousands of years. Non-traditional (aerial) parts constitute a large portion of the biomass of Glycyrrhiza plants and are mostly discarded after harvesting the roots and rhizomes. Through comparative phytochemical and anti-inflammatory activity analyses, this study explored the potential benefits of the aerial parts of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. ex DC. as medicinal materials. First, a combined approach based on GC/MS and UHPLC-ESI-QTof MS analysis was adopted for the identification and quantitative examination of medicinally important compounds from G. uralensis. Additionally, a bioassay-guided fractioning of ethanolic extracts of G. uralensis leaf material was performed and its anti-inflammatory activity was tested. The aerial portion of G. uralensis was rich in medicinally important compounds. Two compounds (henicosane-1 and decahydroisoquinoline-2) were found to exert a significant anti-inflammatory effect, inhibiting the release of pro-inflammatory mediators (NO and PGE2) and cytokines (IL-1β, IL6, and TNF-α), without exerting cytotoxic effects. Moreover, both compounds down-regulated iNOS and COX-2 mRNA expression. These results suggest that non-traditional parts of G. uralensis are suitable sources of bioactive metabolites that can be explored for medicinal purposes.

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