Exploring the Pharmacological Potential of Glycyrrhizic Acid: From Therapeutic Applications to Trends in Nanomedicine

Abstract

Glycyrrhizic acid (GA) is the main active component of the licorice root, which has been known in traditional medicine since the ancient times. It is a molecule composed of a hydrophilic part, two glucuronic acid molecules, and a hydrophobic part, glycyrrhetinic acid. GA, when subjected to acid hydrolysis, releases 18β- and 18α-glycyrrhetinic acids. Glycyrrhetinic acid is most responsible for the pharmacological activities of licorice. GA has been reported to have multiple therapeutic properties: anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antimicrobial and hepatoprotective. Different approaches have revealed similar anti-inflammatory mechanisms of action of GA, such as the inhibition of translocation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and suppression of Tumour Necrosis Factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukins. In this sense, several in vitro and in vivo studies have described the use of GA in the prevention and treatment of several complications, especially microbial/viral infection, and as a novel chemo-preventive agent for liver injury. Recent studies postulated that GA nanoparticles (GANPs) can be a promising strategy for the treatment of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections. This mini-review summarizes the pharmacological activities of GA and its beneficial effects against various health problems and provides perspectives on the development of versatile nanoplatforms to overcome some limiting physicochemical properties and for enhancing the therapeutic benefits of GA.

Synthesis, Structure–Property Evaluation and Biological Assessment of Supramolecular Assemblies of Bioactive Glass with Glycyrrhizic Acid and Its Monoammonium Salt

“…In particular, glycyrrhizic acid (GA) is one of the most bioactive ingredients of licorice plants that stimulate saliva due to its sweet taste and protect from dental caries [30]. An amphiphilic molecule of GA can form host-guest complexes or micelle-type nanocarriers by self-assembly, thereby encapsulating the guest molecule and increasing its solubility [20,31]. The use of various NMR techniques allows to demonstrate the aggregation processes of GA in a water/methanol mixture [32].…”

Self-assembled glycyrrhetinic acid derivatives for functional applications: a review

“…Based on the inherent biological activities of GA, 1,50 researchers are increasingly interested in using GA derivatives as antibacterial materials. For example, Zhao et al obtained an injectable moldable low-molecular-weight hydrogel.…”

“…Looking back on GA articles over the past few years, several review articles have summarized and related to some of the treatment of liver cancer aspects of self-assembled targeting nanosystems, 4,48,49 the pharmacological activity of GA, 32,50 and GL nanofibril applications in multiphase food systems. 51 There is still a gap with regard to self-assembled GA derivatives for describing their applications comprehensively, including for drug delivery systems, 52 stimulus-responsive polymers, 35,47,[53][54][55] liquid propellants, 56 catalytic carrier materials, 27,44 flexible sensors, 57 and food-grade foams.…”

A Review of Moisturizing Additives for Atopic Dermatitis

“…The chemical structure of glycyrrhizin carries a molecule of GA with two molecules of glucuronic acid [61,62]. Both GA and glycyrrhizin have a long history in traditional medicine in ancient Indian, Egyptian and Chinese cultures [63]. It is widely reported to possess anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory properties, the effects of which are similar to those of topical corticosteroids for the treatment of skin diseases, including atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, and psoriasis [55,64,65].…”