Glycyrrhetinic acid is an extract from the herb licorice, it has many health benefits

Glycyrrhetinic acid is a triterpenoid derivative obtained from the hydrolysis of glycyrrhizic acid, which is obtained from the herb licorice, known by the botanical name of Glycyrrhizae Radix. It is used in flavoring and it masks the bitter taste of drugs like aloe and quinine. Glycyrrhetinic acid is also as a major metabolite of glycyrrhizin.

Caution with licorice tea and licorice consumption
Licorice consumption through licorice tea and eating licorice is growing in popularity in certain countries. A daily consumption of glycyrrhetinic acid of 95 mg or more causes an increase in blood pressure. A practical guideline for an acceptable daily intake of glycyrrhetinic acid seems to be 9.5 mg a day. This means no more than 10-30 grams licorice and no more than half a cup of licorice tea a day.

Glycyrrhetinic acid cream
Glycyrrhetinic acid, the active principle of licorice, can reduce the thickness of subcutaneous thigh fat through topical application.
Steroids. 2005 July. Armanini D, Nacamulli D, Francini-Pesenti F, Battagin G, Ragazzi E, Fiore C. Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences-Endocrinology, University of Padua, Via Ospedale 105, 35100 Padua, Italy.
Cortisol is involved in the distribution and deposition of fat, and its action is regulated by the activity of 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. Glycyrrhetinic acid, the active principle of licorice root, blocks 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1, thus reducing the availability of cortisol at the level of adipocytes. We evaluated the effect of topical application of a cream containing glycyrrhetinic acid in the thickness of fat at the level of the thigh. Eighteen healthy women (age range 20-33 years) with normal BMI were randomly allocated to treatment, at the level of the dominant thigh, with a cream containing 2.5% glycyrrhetinic acid or with a placebo cream containing the excipients alone. The circumference and the thickness of the superficial fat layer were significantly reduced in comparison to the controlateral untreated thigh and to control subjects treated with the placebo cream. No changes were observed in blood pressure, plasma renin activity, plasma aldosterone or cortisol. The effect of glycyrrhetinic acid on the thickness of subcutaneous fat was likely related to a block of 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 at the level of fat cells; therefore, glycyrrhetinic acid could be effectively used in the reduction of unwanted local fat accumulation.

Glycyrrhetinic acid derivative against pancreatic cancer cells
Induction of apoptosis and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-activated gene 1 in pancreatic cancer cells by a glycyrrhetinic acid derivative.
Mol Carcinog. 2009 Jan 5. Jutooru I, Chadalapaka G, Chintharlapalli S, Papineni S, Safe S. Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas.
Methyl 2-cyano-3,11-dioxo-18beta-olean-1,12-dien-30-oate (CDODA-Me) is a synthetic triterpenoid derived from glycyrrhetinic acid, a bioactive phytochemical in licorice, CDODA-Me inhibits growth of Panc1 and Panc28 pancreatic cancer cell lines and activates peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma)-dependent transactivation in these cells. This is the first report of the induction of the proapoptotic protein NAG-1 in pancreatic cancer cells.

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