ReviewPharmaceutical biology2017
The anti-inflammatory activity of licorice, a widely used Chinese herb.
Review in Pharmaceutical biology, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 173 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
173 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 389 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, double-simulated, positive drug parallel-controlled clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Xiao'er Fengreqing oral liquid in the treatment of acute pharyngitis/tonsillitis in children.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Trial
- Efficacy and safety of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) in moderately ill patients with COVID-19: a randomized controlled trial.Inflammopharmacology · 2023Trial
- Sensory Characterization of Licorice Extract in Formulated Spirits and the Intervention of Puerarin on Sweetness Lingering.Foods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Article
- Beyond the root: licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) fruit extract modulates oxidative stress and apoptotic markers in PC12 cells.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Ability of the Chinese herbal residue to alleviate short-distance transportation stress in sheep through the remodeling of the rumen microbiome-metabolism axis.Journal of animal science and biotechnology · 2026Article
- Anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic potential of liquiritin extracted from Glycyrrhiza glabra L. in asthma management.Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology · 2026Article
- Investigating the impact and mechanism of Licochalcone B derivative CTG12 on NLRP3 inflammasome.Cell communication and signaling : CCS · 2026Article
- Mechanisms of Gualou Beimu Yin in suppressing the development and metastasis of triple-negative breast cancer: an integrated study based on network pharmacology, transcriptomics, and metabolomics.Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan · 2026Article
- Candolleomyces candolleanus P9 from Altay Glycyrrhiza: β-glucosidase-mediated biotransformation.Microbial cell factories · 2026Article
- Mechanistic evaluation of the in vitro antiviral and anti-inflammatory potential of thyme and licorice herbal preparation.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Formulation and Biological Evaluation ofAntioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Article
- Liquiritin ameliorates atherosclerosis in ApoEIranian journal of basic medical sciences · 2026Article
- Advances in the treatment of recurrent aphthous stomatitis: from synthetic and natural drugs to novel drug delivery systems.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Review
- Tibetan medicine Baxiaga: a systematic review of its historical herbalogical investigation, phytochemical constituents, and pharmacological activities.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Review
- Gegen Qinlian Decoction, a classic traditional Chinese medicine formula: a potential therapeutic strategy for ulcerative colitis and colorectal cancer.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Review
- Immunomodulatory effects of medicinal and edible plants in autoimmune diseases: mechanisms and therapeutic potential.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Review
- Unraveling anti-inflammatory metabolic signatures of Glycyrrhiza uralensis and isoliquiritigenin through multiomics.NPJ systems biology and applications · 2025Article
113 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
contextIncreasing incidence and impact of inflammatory diseases have encouraged the search of new pharmacological strategies to face them. Licorice has been used to treat inflammatory diseases since ancient times in China.
objectiveTo summarize the current knowledge on anti-inflammatory properties and mechanisms of compounds isolated from licorice, to introduce the traditional use, modern clinical trials and officially approved drugs, to evaluate the safety and to obtain new insights for further research of licorice.
methodsPubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct and ResearchGate were information sources for the search terms 'licorice', 'licorice metabolites', 'anti-inflammatory', 'triterpenoids', 'flavonoids' and their combinations, mainly from year 2010 to 2016 without language restriction. Studies were selected from Science Citation Index journals, in vitro studies with Jadad score less than 2 points and in vivo and clinical studies with experimental flaws were excluded.
resultsTwo hundred and ninety-five papers were searched and 93 papers were reviewed. Licorice extract, 3 triterpenes and 13 flavonoids exhibit evident anti-inflammatory properties mainly by decreasing TNF, MMPs, PGE2 and free radicals, which also explained its traditional applications in stimulating digestive system functions, eliminating phlegm, relieving coughing, nourishing qi and alleviating pain in TCM. Five hundred and fifty-four drugs containing licorice have been approved by CFDA. The side effect may due to the cortical hormone like action.
conclusionLicorice and its natural compounds have demonstrated anti-inflammatory activities. More pharmacokinetic studies using different models with different dosages should be carried out, and the maximum tolerated dose is also critical for clinical use of licorice extract and purified compounds.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.