Glycyrrhizic acid toxicity caused by consumption of licorice candy cigars.
(73/161)
A 49-year-old female physician presented with peripheral edema, weight gain and relative hypertension caused by the consumption of licorice candy cigars containing glycyrrhizic acid (GZA) found in natural licorice extract. Although the patient's response to GZA resolved spontaneously, emergency physician awareness of the toxic effects of natural licorice extract may avert symptom progression in early-identified cases. The benefits of natural licorice extract as a flavour enhancer and herbal medicine are recognized worldwide. The Canadian public is likely not generally aware of the toxic potential of GZA, or that it may be present in the following commonly consumed products: black licorice, chewing gum, herbal teas, soft drinks, tobaccos and herbal remedies for cough, stomach ailments and constipation. Emergency physicians should inquire about the consumption of products that may contain natural licorice extract when patients present with unexplained hypertension, hypokalemia, edema, rhabdomyolysis or myoglobinuria. (+info)
Can licorice lick colon cancer?
(74/161)
COX-2 promotes colon cancer. While both nonselective NSAIDs and selective COX-2 inhibitors reduce disease burden, their adverse gastrointestinal and cardiovascular side effects limit their therapeutic use. In this issue of the JCI, Zhang et al. used gene silencing and a derivative of licorice root to show that inhibition of the enzyme 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type II(11betaHSD2) reduces tumor COX-2 activity, tumor growth, and metastasis by increasing the tonic glucocorticoid-mediated suppression of the COX-2 signaling pathway without the adverse effects associated with NSAIDs and selective COX-2 inhibitors (see the related article beginning on page 876). Their findings suggest that 11betaHSD2 inhibition may be a potential therapeutic option in colon cancer, warranting further investigation. (+info)
Overall qualitative and overall quantitative assessment of compound liquoric tablets using HPLC fingerprints.
(75/161)
So far, there has been no advanced method to assure quality control for herbal drugs (HD) and traditional Chinese medicines (TCM). Because HD and TCM have been becoming more and more important for human health, it is necessary to set up an effective quality control method in terms of overall qualitative and overall quantitative analyses for them. In this study, the HPLC fingerprints (HPLC-FPs) of compound liquoric tablets (CLTs) were established to effectively control their qualities by using the dual qualitative and dual quantitative similarities (DQDQS) method, in which 13 batches of CLTs synthesized the referential FP (RFP) as a norm. Among the 26 batches of CLTs, 11 batches were assessed as completely qualified, the contents of 3 batches were obviously higher while the contents of other 6 batches were lower; the chemical constituents proportion distributed in 1 batch were not qualified and the remaining 5 batches were inferior. HD and TCM can be authentically evaluated by this method. (+info)
Glycyrrhizin, the main active compound in liquorice, attenuates pro-inflammatory responses by interfering with membrane-dependent receptor signalling.
(76/161)
A concise synthesis of licochalcone E and its regio-isomer, licochalcone F.
(77/161)
Licochalone E is one of the retrochalcones isolated from Glycyrrhiza inflata which shows potent cytotoxicty against human tumor cell lines. Biological studies suggested that topoisomerase I inhibition correlates with cytotoxic properties. Other research revealed that licochalcone E modulats the nuclear factor (NF)-kB and Bcl-2 families to induce endothelial cell apoptosis. Since licochalcone E has been isolated recently, synthetic information on this compound has not been reported yet. Therefore we report the concise synthesis of licochalcone E and its regio-isomer, tentatively called licochalcone F, by employing Claisen rearrangement for key intermediate synthesis. (+info)
Maternal licorice consumption and detrimental cognitive and psychiatric outcomes in children.
(78/161)
A sweet tooth as the root cause of cardiac arrest.
(79/161)
A 71-year-old woman was admitted with hypotension and bradycardia. An electrocardiogram showed flattened T waves and increased U wave prominence, resulting in a long QT(U) syndrome. Her initial serum potassium level was 1.6 mmol/L (all other electrolytes, including magnesium, were normal). She suffered recurrent ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation arrest requiring direct current cardioversion and high-dose intravenous potassium chloride replacement. Systematic enquiry revealed that she had been constipated for a number of months and had resorted to consuming large quantities of liquorice on a daily basis for its laxative effects. Endocrinology review identified no primary abnormality of the renin- angiotensin- aldosterone axis, and the patient was diagnosed with hypokalemia secondary to liquorice overindulgence. Liquorice has a mineralocorticoid effect. If chronically consumed in large quantities, this effect may lead to severe depletion of whole-body potassium stores. The present case highlights a rare but important cause of hypokalemic cardiac arrest of which all acute care physicians should be aware. (+info)
18Beta-glycyrrhetinic acid ameliorates acute Propionibacterium acnes-induced liver injury through inhibition of macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha.
(80/161)