Abstract
In order to reveal the chemical characteristics of Glycyrrhiza uralensis growing in Mongolia and to clarify whether it can be the source of Glycyrrhizae Radix used in Japan, eight major bioactive constituents in the underground parts of G. uralensis collected in Mongolia were quantitatively analyzed and compared with Glycyrrhizae Radix produced in China. Most of the 15 samples from eastern, southern and western parts of Mongolia contained 26.95–58.55 mg/g of glycyrrhizin, exceeding the criterion (25 mg/g) assigned in the Japanese Pharmacopoeia. The sample collected in Tamsagiyn hooly, Dornod province, in eastern Mongolia was of the highest content 58.55 mg/g. The contents of three flavanone constituents (liquiritin apioside, liquiritin and liquiritigenin) and three chalcones (isoliquiritin apioside, isoliquiritin and isoliquiritigenin) varied significantly according to collection places; the subtotal of the three flavanones ranged from 3.00 to 26.35 mg/g, and the subtotal of the three chalcones ranged from 1.13 to 10.50 mg/g. The content of glycyrrhizin and subtotal contents of flavanones and chalcones in the underground parts of G. uralensis from Mongolia were obviously lower than wild samples, but higher than cultivated samples derived from the same species produced in China. Glycycoumarin, a species-specific constituent of G. uralensis, was detected in all Mongolian samples. Its contents in samples from eastern Mongolia, Sergelen and Tamsagiyn hooly of Dornod province were very high and were compatible with Tohoku-kanzo derived from wild Chinese G. uralensis. The present study suggested that Mongolian G. uralensis could be a source of Glycyrrhizae Radix, mostly of Japanese Pharmacopoeia grade. However, the producing area should be taken into consideration to ensure relatively high quality. In addition, planned use and promotion of cultivation must be advocated to avoid confronting Mongolian Glycyrrhiza with the same threat as its congener in China. Our study sheds some light on selecting cultivation areas and superior strains, which are important tasks to promote cultivation.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Namba T (1993) The encyclopedia of Wakan-Yaku (Traditional Sino-Japanese medicines with color pictures), vol. I. Hoikusha, Osaka, pp 42–45
Katakai M, Akamaru T, Tani T (2002) An analysis of the frequency of formulations and crude drugs described in (Shan-Han-Lun). Yakushigaku Zasshi 37:28–35
Amagaya S (1984) Comparative studies of the streoisomers of glycyrrhetinic acid on anti-inflammatory activities. J Pharmacobio Dyn 7:923–928
Nakamura T, Fujii T, Ichihara A (1985) Enzyme leakage due to change of membrane permeability of primary cultured rat hepatocytes treated with various hepatotoxins and its prevention by glycyrrhizin. Cell Biol Toxicol 1:285–295
Isbrucker RA, Burdock GA (2006) Risk and safety assessment on the consumption of Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza sp.), its extract and powder as a food ingredient, with emphasis on the pharmacology and toxicology of glycyrrhizin. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 46:167–192
Asl MN, Hosseinzadeh H (2008) Review of pharmacological effects of Glycyrrhiza sp. and its bioactive compounds. Phytother Res 22:709–724
Kamei J, Nakamura R, Ichiki H, Kubo M (2003) Antitussive principles of Glycyrrhizae Radix, a main component of the Kampo preparations Bakumondo-to (Mai-men-dong-tang). Eur J Pharmacol 469:159–163
Kobayashi S, Miyamoto T, Kimura I, Kimura M (1995) Inhibitory effect of isoliquiritin, a compound in licorice root, on angiogenesis in vivo and tube formation in vivo. Biol Pharm Bull 18:1382–1386
Sato Y, Akao T, He JX, Nojima H, Kuraishi Y, Morota T, Asano T, Tani T (2006) Glycycoumarin from Glycyrrhizae Radix acts as a potent antispasmodic through inhibition of phosphodiesterase 3. J Ethnopharmacol 105:409–414
Tanaka Y, Kikuzaki H, Fukuda S, Nakatani N (2001) Antibacterial compounds of licorice against upper airway respiratory tract pathogens. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo) 47:270–273
The Society of Japanese Pharmacopoeia (ed) (2001) Japanese Pharmacopoeia, (15th ed., Eng.). Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare of Japan, Tokyo, p 1197
Related Information on medicinal plants (crude drugs) (2008) Japan Speciality Agriculture Products Association, Tokyo, Japan, p 62
http://www.gov.cn/gongbao/content/2000/content_60307.htm (The central people’s government of the People’s Republic of China)
Yamamoto Y, Tani T (2002) Growth and Glycyrrhizin contents in Glycyrrhiza uralensis roots cultivated for four years in eastern Nei-Meng-gu of China. J Trad Med 19:87–92
Shibata S (2000) A drug over the millennia: pharmacognosy, chemistry and pharmacology of licorice. Yakushigaku Zasshi 120:849–862
Komatsu K, Sancher C, Bathkuu J (2003) Colored illustrations of Mongolian plants. p 111
Kitakawa I, Chen WZ, Taniyama T, Harada E, Hori K, Kobayashi M, Ren J (1998) Quantitative determination of constituents in various licorice roots by means of high performance liquid chromatograph. Yakugaku Zasshi 118:519–528
Yamamoto Y, Tani T (2001) Evaluation of Glycyrrhizin variation in Gancao collected from 1986 to 2000 at drug markets in Japan and discrimination of Daitou-Gancao and Dongbei-Gancao. J Trad Med 18:197–202
Kondo K, Shiba M, Nakamura R, Morota T, Shoyama Y (2007) Constituent properties of licorices derived from Glycyrrhiza uralensis, G. glabra, or G. inflata identified by genetic information. Biol Pharm Bull 30:1271–1277
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), no.14406030, in 2002–2004 from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, by the twenty-first century COE program from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan. Partial support was also provided by the Tamura Foundation for Scientific Technology (to S. Zhu).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zhu, S., Sugiyama, R., Batkhuu, J. et al. Survey of Glycyrrhizae Radix resources in Mongolia: chemical assessment of the underground part of Glycyrrhiza uralensis and comparison with Chinese Glycyrrhizea Radix. J Nat Med 63, 137–146 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11418-008-0303-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11418-008-0303-7