Liquorice for pain?

Liquorice has a long history of use in traditional Chinese, Ayurvedic and herbal medicine. The liquorice plant contains numerous bioactive compounds, including triterpenes, flavonoids secondary metabolites, with glycyrrhizin being the main active compound. constituents have been found to anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral, anticancer, hepatoprotective neuroprotective properties. In addition, they appear antidepressant actions effects on morphine tolerance. Glycyrrhizin, its metabolite glycyrrhetic (glycyrrhetinic) acid other liquorice-derived compounds such as isoflavonoids trans-chalcones, exert potent anti-inflammatory via wide range mechanisms high mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) inhibition, gap junction blockade α 2A -adrenoceptor antagonism. These properties, together an increasing body preclinical studies medicine, suggest that may be useful for pain management. Glycyrrhizin is used widely confectionary, food tobacco industries, but documented adverse limit clinical use. Whether plant-derived represent novel class analgesics yet established. Having host broad effect, that, future, give rise new therapies pain.