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. 2022 Jun 9;12(6):535. doi: 10.3390/metabo12060535

Table 3.

Common Kampo prescriptions (including Glycyrrhiza) for cancer therapy.

Name of Kampo Other Name Composition Biological
Activity/Treatment		 Evidence of the Activity Ref.
TJ-84 Daiokanzoto (in Japanese)
Da-huang-gan-cao-Tang (in Chinese)		 Includes 2 herbs: Rhubarb and Glycyrrhiza

  • Constipation

  • Purgative activity

  • Mucositis

 Preclinical: (i) Purgative activity inhibits periodontopathogen via NF-κB pathway; (ii) reduces the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-6 and CXCL8) production; (iii) inhibits MMP-1 and MMP-9 catalytic activities, contributing to anti-inflammation; (vi) decreases AQP3 expression attributed to gut microbiota homeostasis; (v) attenuates 5-FU-induced cell death through the inhibition of mitochondrial ROS production.
Clinical: (i) Alleviates cancer-related fatigue. Reduces adverse reactions to radiotherapy or chemotherapy; (ii) improves constipation (double-blind test in Japan); (iii) improves mucositis in esophageal cancer when combined with chemotherapy. 		[58,59,60,61,64,66,69,70]
TJ-41 Bu-zhong-yi-qi tang (BZYQ)
(in Chinese)
Hochu-ekki-to
(in Japanese)
Bojungikki-
tang (in Korean)		 Includes 7 herbs:
Pinellia tuber, Scutellaria baicalensis, Zingiberis
hizome, Zizyphi fructus, Coptidis
hizome, Glycyrrhiza radix, and Panax ginseng

  • Immunomodulation

  • Anti-tumor

  • Anti-fatigue

 Preclinical: (i) Reverses cisplatin resistance through induction of apoptosis and autophagy in lung cancer cells; (ii) inhibits 5-FU-induced intestinal mucositis via the suppression of inflammatory cytokine upregulation; (iii) increases lymphocyte cell-surface antigens: CD3+-cells and CD3+/CD4+ cells; (iv) inhibits TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10, TGF-1 and INFγ against chronic fatigue.
Clinical: (i) Protective effect of intestine and hematopoietic organs against radiation damage; (ii) improves localized radiotherapy-induced immune deterioration; (iii) improves cancer-related fatigue and QOL; (iv) reduces radiation- or chemotherapy-induced adverse effects.		 [73,74,75,76,79,80,143,144,145]
TJ-43 Rikkunshi-to
(in Japanese)
Liu-jun-zi tang
(in Chinese)
Yukgunja-tang
(in Chinese)		 Includes 6 herbs: Ginseng radix, Poria cocos, Rhizoma atractylodis macrocephalae, Glycyrrhizae radix et rhizoma, Pinelliae rhizoma, Pericarpium citri, common ginger, and Jujube.

  • Dyspepsia

  • Anorexia

  • Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV)

  • Appetite

 Preclinical: (i) Improves cisplatin-induced anorexia (decreases plasma-acylated ghrelin level and enhances food intake) by acting as antagonists at the 5-HT2B/2C receptors.
Clinical: (i) Improves CINV by mediating 5-HT2B/2C receptors and ghrelin receptor signaling; (ii) gastroprotective actions: enhances gastric motility through the 5-HT3 receptor-antagonistic effect; (iii) appetite-stimulating effect via mediating ghrelin receptor signaling (blocked by (D-Lys3)-GHRP-6).		 [95,100,101,102,103,104,108,109,111,112,117,146,147,148,149,150]
TJ-48 Shi-quan-da-bu-tang
(in Chinese)
Juzen-taiho-to (in Japanese)		 Includes 10 herbs:
Ginseng radix, Astragali radix, Angelicae radix, Rehmanniae radix, Atractylodis lanceae rhizoma, Cinnamomi cortex, Poria, Paeoniae radix, Ligustici rhizoma Glycyrrhizae radix

  • Anti-tumor

  • Immunomodulation

  • Periodontal disease

 Preclinical: (i) Alleviates bone marrow suppression caused by TS-1 in mice; (ii) reduces pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress in the liver; (iii) inhibits the production of IL-6, MCP-1, PYY and GLP-1; (iv) anti-tumor via enhanced CD8+ T cell-mediated immunity in CD1d−/− mice lacking NKT cells.
Clinical: (i) Regulates T cells: decreases Foxp3+ Treg populations; (ii) inhibits B16 cell metastasis by inducing NK cell activity; (iii) inhibits osteoclast differentiation.		 [124,125,143,144,151]
PHY906 KD018,
YIV-906
Huang-qin-tang (HQT)		 Includes 4 herbs:
Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, Paeonia lactiflora Pall, Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch, Ziziphus jujuba Mill

  • Anti-tumor

  • Anti-inflammatory

 Preclinical: Enhances the antitumor activity of Sorafenib in nude mice bearing HepG2 xenografts, by targeting the inflammatory state of the tumor tissue microenvironment. Alleviates chemotherapy-induced side effects, such as diarrhea.
Clinical: Enhances the antitumor efficacy of some anticancer drugs, but also alleviates chemotherapy or targeted therapy (e.g., CTP-11)–induced side effects. 		[132,133,134,135,136,141]