Anti-inflammatory properties of licochalcone A from Glycerrhiza inflata on various human skin cells, Karen tom Diek, BSc, Jeannine Immeyer, MS, Rainer Wolber, PhD, Ludger Kolbe, PhD, Beiersdorf AG, Hamburg, Germany
In Western countries licorice is frequently used as a base for candies or as a sweetener in the food and tobacco industry. In the Far East, however, licorice is a basic compound of several traditional medicines for a broad range of diseases. Pharmacological activities have been attributed to several low molecular weight terpene saponins and phenolic ingredients found in different species of licorice.
This study focuses on anti-inflammatory properties of Licochalcone A, a retrochalcone from Glycyrrhiza inflata, which has previously been shown to possess antibacterial and antiparasitic properties. The data presented in this report clearly demonstrate, for the first time, that Licochalcone A is a potent inhibitor of proinflammatory in vitro responses of a variety of dermatologically relevant cell types, including formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine or zymosan-induced oxidative burst of granulocytes, UVB-induced prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) release by keratinocytes, LPS-induced PGE2 release by adult dermal fibroblasts, fMLP-induced leukotriene B-4 release by granulocytes, and LPS-induced interleukin 6/tumor necrosis factor-a secretion by monocyte-derived dendritic cells.
Based on our data, one anti-inflammatory mode of action of Licochalcone A, reported for other chalcones, might be dual inhibition of cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase. Direct interference with signal transduction pathways seems rather unlikely, given the diverse range of different signal transduction pathways leading to the assessed proinflammatory reactions. The anti-inflammatory properties of Licochalcone A at submicromolar concentrations makes it a promising candidate for dermatological and cosmetic applications.
This work was performed at the Beiersdorf Research Center in Hamburg, Germany.
Poster Discussion Session P1055, American Academy of Dermatology, 63th Annual Meeting, February 18-22, 2005, New Orleans.
Supplement to Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology, March 2005, Volume 52, Number 3.
where can you buy this Licochalcone?