The Anti-inflammatory and Anti-viral Effects of an Ethnic Medicine: Glycyrrhizin

The extract of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) has been widely used for many centuries in the traditional Chinese medicine as native anti-allergic agent. Glycyrrhizin (GL), a triterpenoid-saponin, extracted from the roots of licorice is the most effective compound for inflammation and allergic diseases in human body. The biological and pharmacological studies revealed that GL possesses many pharmacological effects, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and liver protective effects, and the biological effects, such as induction of cytokines (interferon-g and IL-12), chemokines as well as extrathymic T and anti-type 2 T cells. This review describes (i) the pharmacological property of GL as an effective anti-inflammatory and anti-viral drug (ii) the biochemical characteristics of several GL-binding proteins (gbPs) involved in the anti-inflammatory and anti-viral effects of 68GL and the GL-induced selective inhibition of the phosphorylation of these gbPs by GL-binding protein kinases in vitro and (iii) the mechanisms involved in the GL-induced inhibition of the replication of both RNA and DNA viruses. In addition, recent reports concerning the mechanical actions involved in the anti-inflammatory and anti-viral effects of GL in vivo and in vitro and its clinical effects on chronic active liver disease and viral infection are summarized.