The anti-cancerous mechanism of licochalcone A on human hepatoma cell HepG2 based on the miRNA omics

To explore the function of licochalcone A as an anticancer phytochemical on HepG2 cells and investigate its potential mechanisms,we analyzed the microRNAs(miRNAs)expression profile of HepG2 cells in response to licochalcone A(70μmol/L)in vitro.102 dysregulated miRNAs were detected,and SP1 was expected as the transcription factor that regulates the functions of most screened miRNAs.A sum of 431 targets,the overlap of predicted mRNAs from TargetScan,miRDB,and miRtarbase were detected as the targets for these dysregulated miRNAs.FoxO signaling pathway was the hub pathway for the targets.A protein-protein interaction network was structured on the STRING platform to discover the hub genes.Among them,PIK3R1,CDC42,ESR1,SMAD4,SUMO1,KRAS,AGO1,etc.were screened out.Afterwards,the miRNA-target networks were established to screen key dysregulated miRNAs.Two key miRNAs(hsa-miR-133b and hsa-miR-145-5p)were filtered.Finally,the miRNA-target-transcription factor networks were constructed for these key miRNAs.The networks for these key miRNAs included three and two transcription factors,respectively.These identified miRNAs,transcription factors,targets,and regulatory networks may offer hints to understand the molecular mechanism of licochalcone A as a natural anticarcinogen.

Anti-aging Related Activities and Health Benefits of Licochalcone A:A Review

Background:Licochalcone A(LCA)is a flavonoid derived from the roots of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch.ex DC and other related plants.Its natural source has been extensively used in complementary medicine,especially traditional Chinese medicine,to treat various ailments.Identified as a phenolic chalcone compound,LCA has gained significant attention in recent years due to its various pharmacological properties.Objective:The objective of this review article is to assess the anti-aging ralated pharmacological properties of LCA.Method:An exhaustive search of several scientific databases was conducted using various relevant keywords to write this review article on LCA,focusing on its therapeutic applications and anti-aging-related pharmacological activities.Some inclusion and exclusion criteria were strictly followed to retrieve updated relevant articles.Results:A collection of 292 papers were screened,and 131 were included in this review for an in-depth analysis of Licochalcone A,focusing on its anti-aging-related pharmacological activities and relevant mechanisms,and its toxicity and side effects.Moreover,the potential of LCA as a pharmacological product is discussed,emphasizing its health benefits and potential as a pharmaceutical product.Conclusion:These findings indicate that Licochalcone A is a promising natural therapeutic agent for anti-aging therapy and other ailments.

Chemical Constituents from Turnip and Their Effects on α-Glucosidase

Brassica rapa var.rapa(turnip)is an important crop in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP)with anti-hypoxic effect.Turnip is rich in glucosinolates,isothiocyanates and phenolic compounds with diverse biological activities,involving anti-oxidant,anti-tumor,anti-diabetic,anti-inflammatory,anti-microbial,hypolipidemic,cardioprotective,hepatoprotective,nephroprotective and analgesic properties.In this study,the ethyl acetate(EtOAc)and butanol parts of Brassica rapa were first revealed with inhibitory effects onα-glucosidase,whereas the water part was inactive.Subsequent bioassay-guided isolation on the EtOAc and butanol parts yielded 12 compounds,involving three indole derivatives,indole-3-acetonitrile(1)4-methoxyindole-3-acetonitrile(2)and indole-3-aldehyde(3)two flavonoids,liquiritin(4)and licochalcone A(5)two phenylpropanoids,sinapic acid(6)and caffeic acid(7)two phenylethanol glycosides,2-phenylethylβ-glucopyranoside(8)and salidroside(9)and three other compounds,syringic acid(10)adenosine(11)and(3β,20E)-ergosta-5,20(22)-dien-3-ol(12)Licochalcone A(5)and caffeic acid(7)showedα-glucosidase inhibitory activity with IC 50 values of 62.4±8.0μM and 162.6±3.2μM,comparable to the positive control,acarbose(IC 50=142±0.02μM).Docking study suggested that licochalcone A(5)could well align in the active site ofα-glucosidase(docking score=-52.88)by forming hydrogen bonds(Gln1372,Asp1420,Gln1372,Arg1510),hydrophobic effects(Tyr1251,Tyr1251,Trp1355,Phe1560,Ile1587,Trp1355,Phe1559,Phe1559)andπ-πstacking interaction(Trp1355).This study provides valuable information for turnip as a new resource in searching anti-diabetic candidates.

Highly Efficient Rinse-Off/Leave-On Scalp Care Treatments to Reduce Moderate to Severe Dandruff

Background/Aim: Dandruff is a common scalp problem associated with flaky and inflamed skin. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of a shampoo containing piroctone olamine and climbazole and the combination of this shampoo with a scalp tonic containing piroctone olamine and licochalcone A, derived from Glycyrrhiza inflata root extract, to reduce dandruff. Study Design/Methods: After conditioning, 102 subjects (♂ 56 and 46 ♀) with moderate to very strong dandruff affection underwent a randomized half head study for 4 weeks. The volunteers’ heads were washed regularly either with a placebo or the anti-dandruff shampoo, followed by the anti-dandruff tonic application or no treatment. In a 2-week post-treatment phase, subjects only applied placebo shampoo. Every two weeks, trained experts assessed dandruff affection based on a scale of 1 to 6. At study start and after every 2 weeks, cytokine concentrations and anti-fungal activity of test products were determined in scalp wash-ups by enzyme-linked immunosorbant assays or a Malassezia colony-forming assay, respectively. Results: Results of expert grading and anti-fungal activity revealed a significant reduction in dandruff affection and Malassezia colony-forming units after treatment with the anti-dandruff shampoo or its combination with the tonic. Dandruff affection even remained reduced in the post-treatment phase when levels of Malassezia colony-forming units had returned to baseline. Cytokine analyses proved a significant decrease in pro-inflammatory dandruff markers after treatment with both anti-dandruff products. For the shampoo/tonic combination, a superior reduction of one scalp inflammatory marker was determined even after the post-treatment phase. Conclusion: Both the rinse-off shampoo as well as its combination with the leave-on tonic excellently alleviated dandruff and its associated micro-inflammation. Both treatments showed anti-fungal activity. The superior benefit, exerted by the combination, is primarily based on the known anti-inflammatory effect of licochalcone A and the improved scalp substantivity of the leave-on application.

Anti-inflammatory and Anti-oxidant Effects of Licorice Flavonoids on Ulcerative Colitis in Mouse Model

Licorice（Glycyrrhizae Radix or Liquiritiae Radix） is traditionally used to treat various diseases including inflammation and gastric ulcers. Licorice is rich in flavonoid compounds and possesses anti-inflammatory activities. To investigate the protective effects of licorice flavonoids（LFs） in both acetic acid-induced and dextran sulphate sodium（DSS）-induced ulcerative colitis（UC） mouse model and its underlying mechanism. Acute UC was induced by intra-rectal acetic acid（4% v/v） after pretreatment with LFs（100, 200, and 400 mg/kg, p.o.）, 0.9% saline（20 mL/kg, p.o.） or Sulfasalazine（SASP）（600 mg/kg, p.o.） for 10 d. Quantitative analysis of chemical components of LFs was also conducted by HPLC. Our results showed that pre-treatment with LFs significantly reduced the wet weight/length ratio of colon, percentage of affected area, macroscopic and histological damage scores in acid-induced UC mice. LFs also significantly decreased the oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory cytokines, upregulated nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2（Nrf2） pathway and downregulated nuclear transcription factor kappa B（NF-κB） pathway. At last, LFs also showed obvious antiulcer effect on the DSS-induced UC model. The major components of LFs were licochalcone A, glabrone, licoflavone, and licoflavone B. This study demonstrates that the protective effect of LFs may at least in part be due to its anti-oxidant activity through Nrf2 pathway and anti-inflammatory activity through NF-κB pathway.