Licorice Flavonoids Identified as Powerful Natural Blockers of Harmful Gut Enzyme
Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Mar 21, 2025 23 hours, 46 minutes ago
Medical News: Researchers Discover Potential of Licorice in Reducing Drug Side Effects in Chemotheraphy
Scientists from the College of Pharmacy at Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine have identified natural flavonoids from licorice as powerful inhibitors of an important gut enzyme. This discovery could lead to better ways of reducing severe gastrointestinal (GI) side effects caused by certain cancer treatments.
Licorice Flavonoids Identified as Powerful Natural Blockers of Harmful Gut Enzyme
The Role of Gut Enzymes in Drug Side Effects
Many cancer patients experience strong side effects from chemotherapy drugs, such as irinotecan, which is widely used to treat colorectal cancer. One of the main issues is that this drug, after being processed by the liver, can be reactivated in the gut by an enzyme called β-glucuronidase. This enzyme, produced by gut bacteria, breaks down a harmless form of the drug back into its toxic form, leading to severe diarrhea, nausea, and other GI problems. Finding a way to block this enzyme without affecting the drug’s effectiveness is a major goal for scientists.
How Licorice Flavonoids May Help
This
Medical News report highlights a breakthrough where researchers tested four flavonoid compounds found in licorice - liquiritigenin, isoliquiritigenin, liquiritin, and isoliquiritin - to see if they could inhibit β-glucuronidase. Using advanced computer-based analysis, they found that these flavonoids bind tightly to the enzyme, preventing it from activating toxic drug compounds in the gut.
Among these flavonoids, isoliquiritin showed the strongest ability to block the enzyme, making it a promising candidate for further development as a protective agent for cancer patients. The study suggests that these natural compounds from licorice could help reduce the side effects of chemotherapy without interfering with its cancer-fighting abilities.
Understanding the Study Findings
The researchers used molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations, and free energy calculations to analyze how these flavonoids interact with β-glucuronidase. Their findings showed that all four flavonoids successfully bind to the enzyme, but with different strengths.
-Liquiritigenin and isoliquiritigenin had moderate inhibitory effects.
-Liquiritin and isoliquiritin were more effective because their molecular structures allowed them to form stronger interactions with the enzyme.
-Isoliquiritin was the most potent inhibitor, meaning it could have the highest potential in drug development.
The study also revealed that the flavonoids interacted with key parts of the enzyme, blocking its activity in a way that could make it difficult for the enzyme to function properly.
Future Potential of Licorice Compounds
These findings suggest that licorice flavonoids could serve as a
natural remedy to help patients undergoing chemotherapy. By reducing the activity of β-glucuronidase in the gut, these compounds may prevent the reactivation of toxic drug metabolites, lowering the risk of GI complications.
The next steps for the research team involve further laboratory testing and potential clinical trials to confirm these effects in human patients. If successful, licorice-derived compounds could become a complementary therapy for cancer patients, improving their quality of life during treatment.
Conclusion
The discovery that licorice flavonoids can inhibit β-glucuronidase is a promising advancement in medical research. These natural compounds may help mitigate the harmful side effects of certain drugs, especially in chemotherapy. Among the flavonoids studied, isoliquiritin demonstrated the strongest potential, making it a key candidate for further development. With more research, these natural inhibitors could lead to safer and more effective treatments for patients worldwide.
The study findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal: Molecules.
https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/6/1324
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