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

Table 5.

Licorice compounds, mechanisms of action and potential chemopreventions.

Compounds Pharmacological Group Chemotherapy Therapeutic Actions/Mechanism Ref
Glycyrrhizinic acid Triterpenoid saponin 5-Fluorouracil

  • Mucoprotective effects, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant (suppresses inflammatory mediators and oxidative stress via NF-κB and Nrf2 pathways)

  • Enhances chemosensitivity (nitric oxide regulator)

 [197,198]
Cisplatin

  • Nephroprotective effect (inhibition of HMGB1)

 [196]
Cisplatin/radiation

  • Enhances chemosensitivity (1. decreases the expression of MRP2, MRP3, MRP4, and MRP5; 2. inhibition of HMGB1)

 [199,200,201]
Erlotinib/cisplatin

  • Enhances chemosensitivity (inhibition of progesterone receptor membrane component 1 (PGRMC1))

 [202]
Doxorubicin

  • Anti-inflammatory (decreasing phagocytosis of macrophage)

  • Enhances chemosensitivity (mediates cell apoptosis via Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and caspase-3 activity)

  • Cardioprotective (inhibition of HMGB1via HMGB1-dependent Akt/mTOR downregulating phospho-Akt, phospho-mTOR, p62, and LC3 II)

 [204,205,210]
Paclitaxel

  • Enhances chemosensitivity (via HMGB1/c-Myc inhibition)

 [203,211]

  • Anti-inflammatory (inhibition of NF-κB activation and IL-6 production)

 [206]
N.A.

  • Anti-anxiety and anti-depression (inhibition of HMGB1)

 [212,213]
Glycyrrhizin Cyclosporine
(CsA)

  • Combined glycyrrhizin can reduce CsA-related liver injury, and attenuation of the severity of nausea and other adverse events

 [214]
Isoliquiritigenin Trans-chalcone (flavonoid) Cisplatin

  • Antioxidant effects, and enhances chemosensitivity (enhances ER stress and oxidative stress)

  • Enhances chemosensitivity (via HO-1 and GRP78/ABCG2)

 [208,215,216,217]

  • Nephro and hepatic protection (increases nitric oxide and tissue lipid peroxidation levels, and depletes GSH levels).

  • Anti-inflammatory (inhibition of FPR2 in macrophage)

 [207,218]
5-Fluorouracil

  • Enhances chemosensitivity (induces p62/SQSTM1 by reducing caspase-8 activation)

 [219]

  • Immuno-protector (activation of macrophages and lymphocytes)

 [220]
Doxorubicin

  • Antioxidant effect, hepatic protection (via SIRT1/Nrf2 pathway)

 [221]

  • Enhances chemosensitivity

 [222,223]