Induction of growth hormone (GH) by Glycyrrhizae Radix (GR), one of the most popular herbal medicine, and its major ingredients were studied in rat pituitary cells in vitro and in vivo assay. The MeOH extract and the n-hexane (HX) fraction of GR induced rat GH (rGH) release up to 1.89 times (0.34 +/- 0.04 nM) and 4.59 times (0.83 +/- 0.03 nM), compared to the basal level (p < 0.05). Among many ...

Fifteen novel glycyrrhetinic acid derivatives containing a nitrogen heterocycle at C-30 and with different A-ring substituents were designed and synthesized. All of these derivatives have improved antiproliferative effects against human HL-60 leukemia cells. Compounds with a cyano-enone functionality on the A-ring exhibit greater growth inhibitory effects, compared to those with a 2-hydroxymeth...