18β-Glycyrrhetinic acid

18β-Glycyrrhetinic acid is the major bioactive component of Glycyrrhiza uralensis and possesses anti-ulcerative, anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative properties. In Vitro: 18β-Glycyrrhetinic acid is the major bioactive component of Glycyrrhizae Radix and possesses anti-ulcerative, anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative properties. MTS assay demonstrates that 24 h treatment of 18β-Glycyrrhetinic acid suppresses cell proliferation in both cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. 18β-Glycyrrhetinic acid at 160 μM significantly decreases the percentage of viable cells to around 40.5±10.5% in A549 and 38.3±4.6% in NCI-H460 (p<0.01 respectively). When the cells are treated with 320 μM 18β-Glycyrrhetinic acid, a greater inhibitory effects on cell proliferation is shown, as the percentage of viable cells is below 30% compare with untreated controls (p<0.001). Treatment with 18β-Glycyrrhetinic acid at 160 μM and 320 μM decreases the levels of full-length PARP and increases the levels of cleaved-PARP^[1]. In Vivo: Rats in 18β-Glycyrrhetinic acid+Triptolide (TP) group which receive low-dose 18β-Glycyrrhetinic acid (50 mg/kg) have significant reductions in the three serum parameters when compare with TP rats. Rats in 18β-Glycyrrhetinic acid+TP group which receive the high-dose 18β-Glycyrrhetinic acid (100 mg/kg) have slightly lowered the levels of three liver enzymes, the reductions do not reach statistical significance compare with TP group. Contrastingly, preadministration of low-dose 18β-Glycyrrhetinic acid protects animals from TP-induced hepatic lesions. On the contrary, low-dose 18β-Glycyrrhetinic acid (50 mg/kg) markedly suppresses the release of the four cytokines above^[3].