BACKGROUND The increasing use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has kindled the need for scientific evaluation of the mechanism of action of CAMs. Although, licorice, a common ingredient in many Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has attracted great attention for its antitumor and immunomodulatory activities, the mechanism of action of its polysaccharides is still unclear. Here we...

Seed dormancy is an important component of plant fitness that causes a delay of germination until the arrival of a favourable growth season. Dormancy is a complex trait that is determined by genetic factors with a substantial environmental influence. Several of the tissues comprising a seed contribute to its final dormancy level. The roles of the plant hormones abscisic acid and gibberellin in ...

Although, grapevines do not have a high chilling requirement, its fulfillment is critical for normal development of the vines. In tropical and subtropical regions such as Farrashband, in the south of Iran, there is no adequate winter chilling to release bud dormancy in grapevines. So it is necessary to consider the effect of chemical dormancy–breaking agents on bud dormancy. In the present rese...

Minor phenolic compounds in licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis) have recently been proved for diverse bioactivities and favorable bioavailability, indicating that they may play an important role in the therapeutic effects or herb-drug interactions of licorice. However, so far, their abundance in licorice remains unknown. In this study, a reliable solid-phase extraction coupled with a high-performa...

The apparent mineralocorticoid excess syndrome of patients ingesting large amounts of licorice or its derivatives is thought to be caused by the antagonism by these compounds of the enzyme 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11 beta-HSD). 11 beta-HSD inactivates cortisol and corticosterone, allowing the more abundantly produced glucocorticoids access to the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) in ...

OBJECTIVES Food or drinks may significantly alter the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of drugs which may lead to adverse events. A drug such as metformin is widely used to regulate plasma glucose level and pomegranate and licorice have been identified to help in type-2 diabetes management. However, the interactions of the latter on metformin pharmacokinetics were not studied. Therefore, w...

Medicinal and industrial properties of phytochemicals (e.g. glycyrrhizin) from the root of Glycyrrhiza uralensis (licorice plant) made it an attractive, multimillion-dollar trade item. Bioengineering is one of the solutions to overcome such high market demand and to protect plants from extinction. Unfortunately, limited genomic information on medicinal plants restricts their research and thus b...

tion of smooth muscle through the action of the enteric nerve system. Clinically, pain caused by gastrointestinal spasms is generally treated with drugs that induce smooth muscle relaxation. Shakuyakukanzoto (Shaoyao-Gancao-tang, an aqueous extract of a mixture of Paeoniae Radix and Glycyrrhizae Radix) and Kanzoto (an aqueous extract of Glycyrrhizae Radix) have been used clinically to relieve g...

The progressive decrease in the efficiency of synthetic drugs has prompted research into phytogenic feed additives with potentially immunomodulatory and anti-infective properties. Complex diseases with a mixed etiology, including viral, pose a growing problem in domestic pigeons. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of various doses of aloe vera and licorice extracts on the ...