Does licorice affect immune function?

    Last Updated: October 13, 2024

    Licorice interacts with the immune system and has been associated with reduced macrophage oxidation and increased T-cell activity.[1][2][3][4] These anti-inflammatory properties may explain why licorice has been effective in reducing postoperative sore throat, enhancing the efficacy of rheumatoid arthritis medications, and reducing the symptoms of atopic dermatitis.[5][5][6][7][8]

    In animal studies, licochalcone A and liquiritigenin prevented the formation of new blood vessels that fed tumors, which could potentially reduce tumor size and/or growth.[9][10][11] Licorice extract might also preserve cells that are usually damaged by chemotherapy drugs, and it appears to work synergistically with chemotherapy in cancer treatment.[12][13][14]

    References

    1. ^Heyworth PG, Badwey JAContinuous phosphorylation of both the 47 and the 49 kDa proteins occurs during superoxide production by neutrophils.Biochim Biophys Acta.(1990 May 2)
    2. ^Nauseef WM, Volpp BD, McCormick S, Leidal KG, Clark RAAssembly of the neutrophil respiratory burst oxidase. Protein kinase C promotes cytoskeletal and membrane association of cytosolic oxidase components.J Biol Chem.(1991 Mar 25)
    3. ^Zwickey H, Brush J, Iacullo CM, Connelly E, Gregory WL, Soumyanath A, Buresh RThe effect of Echinacea purpurea, Astragalus membranaceus and Glycyrrhiza glabra on CD25 expression in humans: a pilot studyPhytother Res.(2007 Nov)
    4. ^Julie Brush, Elissa Mendenhall, Alena Guggenheim, Tracy Chan, Erin Connelly, Amala Soumyanath, Randal Buresh, Richard Barrett, Heather ZwickeyThe effect of Echinacea purpurea, Astragalus membranaceus and Glycyrrhiza glabra on CD69 expression and immune cell activation in humansPhytother Res.(2006 Aug)
    5. ^Wang G, Qi Y, Wu L, Jiang GComparative Efficacy of 6 Topical Pharmacological Agents for Preventive Interventions of Postoperative Sore Throat After Tracheal Intubation: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis.Anesth Analg.(2021 Jul 1)
    6. ^Hongmin Li, Xiaoyin Sun, Jingwei He, Cheng Tan, Ting DaiEfficacy and safety of Chinese herbal medicine Jianpi formulas for atopic dermatitis: Evidence from 11 randomized controlled trialsJ Cosmet Dermatol.(2022 Mar)
    7. ^Jinying Fang, Mingxuan Liu, Zhenghui Huang, Yucao Ma, Yiwen Wang, Xiaojia Zheng, Liu Lv, Chunpin Liu, Wei Li, Zhenghong Zhu, Huachao Zhu, Jie Hu, Yonghong Wang, Hailong WangEfficacy and safety of TCMs with anti-inflammatory effect in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A network meta-analysisFront Immunol.(2023 Mar 8)
    8. ^Han R, Ren HC, Zhou S, Gu S, Gu YY, Sze DM, Chen MHConventional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs combined with Chinese Herbal Medicines for rheumatoid arthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.J Tradit Complement Med.(2022 Sep)
    9. ^Kim YH, Shin EK, Kim DH, Lee HH, Park JH, Kim JKAntiangiogenic effect of licochalcone A.Biochem Pharmacol.(2010 Oct 15)
    10. ^Xie SR, Wang Y, Liu CW, Luo K, Cai YQLiquiritigenin inhibits serum-induced HIF-1α and VEGF expression via the AKT/mTOR-p70S6K signalling pathway in HeLa cells.Phytother Res.(2012 Aug)
    11. ^Liu Y, Xie S, Wang Y, Luo K, Wang Y, Cai YLiquiritigenin inhibits tumor growth and vascularization in a mouse model of HeLa cells.Molecules.(2012 Jun 12)
    12. ^Tan Y, Wang H, Xu B, Zhang X, Zhu G, Ge Y, Lu T, Gao R, Li JChinese herbal medicine combined with oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of contributions of specific medicinal materials to tumor response.Front Pharmacol.(2022)
    13. ^Li Y, Hao M, Zhang B, Wang P, Zhang D, Lu S, Ma WMeta-analysis of the efficacy of glycyrrhizin for postoperative liver preservation in patients with liver cancer.J Cancer Res Ther.(2022 Apr)
    14. ^Yuanyuan Chen, Chien-Shan Cheng, Hor-Yue Tan, Chi Wing Tam, Ning Wang, Yibin FengEfficacy of Herbal Medicines Intervention for Colorectal Cancer Patients With Chemotherapy-Induced Gastrointestinal Toxicity - a Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisFront Oncol.(2021 Mar 25)