Research Progress on the Antiviral Activity of Glycyrrhizin and Its Derivatives in Liquorice

Overview

Journal Front Pharmacol

Date 2021 Jul 23

PMID 34295250

Citations 22

Authors

Changchao Huan

Yao Xu

Wei Zhang

Tingting Guo

Haochun Pan

Song Gao

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Liquorice is a traditional medicine. Triterpenoids such as glycyrrhizin and glycyrrhetinic acid are the main active constituents of liquorice. Studies have revealed that these compounds exert inhibitory effects on several viruses, including SARS-CoV-2. The main mechanisms of action of these compounds include inhibition of virus replication, direct inactivation of viruses, inhibition of inflammation mediated by HMGB1/TLR4, inhibition of β-chemokines, reduction in the binding of HMGB1 to DNA to weaken the activity of viruses, and inhibition of reactive oxygen species formation. We herein review the research progress on the antiviral effects of glycyrrhizin and its derivatives. In addition, we emphasise the significance of exploring unknown antiviral mechanisms, structural modifications, and drug combinations in future studies.

Citing Articles

Glycyrrhizin enhances the antitumor activity of cisplatin in non‑small cell lung cancer cells by influencing DNA damage and apoptosis.

Tong Z, Wang Z, Jiang J, Fu W, Hu S Oncol Lett. 2025; 29(4):207.

PMID: 40070780 PMC: 11894513. DOI: 10.3892/ol.2025.14954.

Discovery of Potent Dengue Virus NS2B-NS3 Protease Inhibitors Among Glycyrrhizic Acid Conjugates with Amino Acids and Dipeptides Esters.

Lin Y, Lai H, Lin C, Hung P, Kan J, Chiu S Viruses. 2025; 16(12.

PMID: 39772233 PMC: 11680386. DOI: 10.3390/v16121926.

Exploring the Role of Licorice and Its Derivatives in Cell Signaling Pathway NF-B and MAPK.

Fatima I, Sahar A, Tariq A, Naz T, Usman M J Nutr Metab. 2024; 2024:9988167.

PMID: 39479405 PMC: 11524698. DOI: 10.1155/2024/9988167.

Antiviral Activity of Plant-Based Additives Against African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV) in Feed Ingredients.

Lai T, Trinh T, Than T, Mai N, Biuki N, Eckel B Vet Med Sci. 2024; 10(6):e70070.

PMID: 39403003 PMC: 11473970. DOI: 10.1002/vms3.70070.

Metabolomics Revealed the Tolerance and Growth Dynamics of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) to Soil Salinity in Licorice.

Fan L, Zhang C, Li J, Zhao Z, Liu Y Plants (Basel). 2024; 13(18).

PMID: 39339628 PMC: 11435364. DOI: 10.3390/plants13182652.

References

Fujisawa K . Interferon therapy in hepatitis C virus (HCV) induced chronic hepatitis: clinical significance of pretreatment with glycyrhizine. Trop Gastroenterol. 1991; 12(4):176-9. View

Zhou P, Yang X, Wang X, Hu B, Zhang L, Zhang W . A pneumonia outbreak associated with a new coronavirus of probable bat origin. Nature. 2020; 579(7798):270-273. PMC: 7095418. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2012-7. View

Baltina L, Tasi Y, Huang S, Lai H, Baltina L, Petrova S . Glycyrrhizic acid derivatives as Dengue virus inhibitors. Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2019; 29(20):126645. PMC: 7172207. DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2019.126645. View

Romero M, Efferth T, Serrano M, Castano B, Macias R, Briz O . Effect of artemisinin/artesunate as inhibitors of hepatitis B virus production in an "in vitro" replicative system. Antiviral Res. 2005; 68(2):75-83. DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2005.07.005. View

Alaygut D, Torun Bayram M, Kasap B, Soylu A, Turkmen M, Kavukcu S . Rhabdomyolysis with different etiologies in childhood. World J Clin Pediatr. 2017; 6(4):161-168. PMC: 5691034. DOI: 10.5409/wjcp.v6.i4.161. View

Ito M, Sato A, Hirabayashi K, Tanabe F, Shigeta S, Baba M . Mechanism of inhibitory effect of glycyrrhizin on replication of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Antiviral Res. 1988; 10(6):289-98. DOI: 10.1016/0166-3542(88)90047-2. View

Gao R, Zhang Y, Kang Y, Xu W, Jiang L, Guo T . Glycyrrhizin Inhibits PEDV Infection and Proinflammatory Cytokine Secretion via the HMGB1/TLR4-MAPK p38 Pathway. Int J Mol Sci. 2020; 21(8). PMC: 7215578. DOI: 10.3390/ijms21082961. View

Yao L, Sun T . Glycyrrhizin administration ameliorates Streptococcus aureus-induced acute lung injury. Int Immunopharmacol. 2019; 70:504-511. DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2019.02.046. View

Kwon Y, Son D, Chung T, Lee Y . A Review of the Pharmacological Efficacy and Safety of Licorice Root from Corroborative Clinical Trial Findings. J Med Food. 2019; 23(1):12-20. DOI: 10.1089/jmf.2019.4459. View

10.

Li Q, Guan X, Wu P, Wang X, Zhou L, Tong Y . Early Transmission Dynamics in Wuhan, China, of Novel Coronavirus-Infected Pneumonia. N Engl J Med. 2020; 382(13):1199-1207. PMC: 7121484. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2001316. View

11.

Chen X, Zhou H, Qi W, Ning Z, Ma Y, Li Y . [Antiviral effects of the combination of glycyrrhizin and ribavirin against influenza A H1N1 virus infection in vivo]. Yao Xue Xue Bao. 2015; 50(8):966-72. View

12.

Petramfar P, Hajari F, Yousefi G, Azadi S, Hamedi A . Efficacy of oral administration of licorice as an adjunct therapy on improving the symptoms of patients with Parkinson's disease, A randomized double blinded clinical trial. J Ethnopharmacol. 2019; 247:112226. DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2019.112226. View

13.

Alkhatib G, Combadiere C, Broder C, Feng Y, Kennedy P, Murphy P . CC CKR5: a RANTES, MIP-1alpha, MIP-1beta receptor as a fusion cofactor for macrophage-tropic HIV-1. Science. 1996; 272(5270):1955-8. DOI: 10.1126/science.272.5270.1955. View

14.

Lin J . Mechanism of action of glycyrrhizic acid in inhibition of Epstein-Barr virus replication in vitro. Antiviral Res. 2003; 59(1):41-7. DOI: 10.1016/s0166-3542(03)00030-5. View

15.

Bailly C, Vergoten G . Glycyrrhizin: An alternative drug for the treatment of COVID-19 infection and the associated respiratory syndrome?. Pharmacol Ther. 2020; 214:107618. PMC: 7311916. DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2020.107618. View

16.

Shi X, Yu L, Zhang Y, Liu Z, Zhang H, Zhang Y . Glycyrrhetinic acid alleviates hepatic inflammation injury in viral hepatitis disease via a HMGB1-TLR4 signaling pathway. Int Immunopharmacol. 2020; 84:106578. PMC: 7205693. DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2020.106578. View

17.

Takahara T, Watanabe A, Shiraki K . Effects of glycyrrhizin on hepatitis B surface antigen: a biochemical and morphological study. J Hepatol. 1994; 21(4):601-9. DOI: 10.1016/s0168-8278(94)80108-8. View

18.

Smedegaard S, Svart M . Licorice induced pseudohyperaldosteronism, severe hypertension, and long QT. Endocrinol Diabetes Metab Case Rep. 2019; 2019. PMC: 6935715. DOI: 10.1530/EDM-19-0109. View

19.

Zhu N, Zhang D, Wang W, Li X, Yang B, Song J . A Novel Coronavirus from Patients with Pneumonia in China, 2019. N Engl J Med. 2020; 382(8):727-733. PMC: 7092803. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2001017. View

20.

Takei M, Kobayashi M, Li X, Pollard R, Suzuki F . Glycyrrhizin inhibits R5 HIV replication in peripheral blood monocytes treated with 1-methyladenosine. Pathobiology. 2005; 72(3):117-23. DOI: 10.1159/000084114. View