Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (belonging to the family Leguminosae), commonly known as Licorice, is a popular medicinal plant that has been used in traditional medicine worldwide for its ethnopharmacological efficacy in treating several ailments. Natural herbal substances with strong biological activity have recently received much attention. The main metabolite of glycyrrhizic acid is 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid (18βGA), a pentacyclic triterpene. A major active plant component derived from licorice root, 18βGA has sparked a lot of attention due to its pharmacological properties. The current review thoroughly examines the literature on 18βGA, a major active plant component obtained from Glycyrrhiza glabra L. The current work provides insight into the pharmacological activities of 18βGA and the potential mechanisms of action involved. The plant contains a variety of phytoconstituents such as 18βGA, which has a variety of biological effects including antiasthmatic, hepatoprotective, anticancer, nephroprotective, antidiabetic, antileishmanial, antiviral, antibacterial, antipsoriasis, antiosteoporosis, antiepileptic, antiarrhythmic, and anti-inflammatory, and is also useful in the management of pulmonary arterial hypertension, antipsychotic-induced hyperprolactinemia, and cerebral ischemia. This review examines research on the pharmacological characteristics of 18βGA throughout recent decades to demonstrate its therapeutic potential and any gaps that may exist, presenting possibilities for future drug research and development.

Depression is a heterogeneous disorder and has been regarded as an inflammatory disease. The aerial parts of the Convolvulus pluricaulis are used in Indian traditional medicines for the management of nervous disorders. However, the influence of methanolic extract of aerial parts of Convolvulus pluricaulis (CPE) on a chronic animal model of depression has not been investigated yet, and associated biochemical changes are still unclear. Therefore, this study investigates the effects of CPE on a chronic rat model of depression and explores its underlying mechanism of action on neuroinflammation and brain monoamines. The antidepressant-like effect of CPE (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg, p.o.) was depicted using the sucrose preference test and the forced swimming test (FST) while CUMS-induced alteration in the locomotor index was measured using the open field test (OFT) and actophotometer. A consecutive one-week treatment of CPE (50, and 100 mg/kg) or fluoxetine (10 mg/kg, p.o.) treatment significantly increased sucrose preference index, reduced immobility time in the FST, and increased the number of squares crossed, the number of rearing in the OFT and locomotion in the actophotometer in the CUMS-exposed rats. Moreover, elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and liver biomarkers ALT, AST were also significantly reversed by CPE (50, and 100 mg/kg) or fluoxetine administration in the CUMS-exposed rats. Furthermore, a one-week treatment of CPE (50 and 100 mg/kg) or fluoxetine also remarkably restored the serotonin and noradrenaline levels in the hippocampus as well as in the prefrontal cortex of the CUMS-exposed rats. However, CPE (25 mg/kg) exerted insignificant protection against CUMS-induced depressive-like behavior and associated neuroinflammation. Therefore, this study demonstrates that CPE exerted antidepressant-like effect which could be mediated by anti-inflammatory potential, restoring liver biomarkers or monoaminergic responses in the stressed rats.

The 4-allyl guaiacol is a natural phenolic molecule that has been widely studied for its antioxidant capacity against reactive-oxygen-species-mediated cellular damage. Therefore, we hypothesized that concomitant use of an antioxidant and NSAID may decrease the risk of gastrointestinal toxicity and make the therapy safer. To address the gastrointestinal toxicity of conventional NSAIDs, a new S-naproxen-4-allyl guaiacol chimera (MAS-1696) was computationally developed, chemically synthesized, and tested for anti-inflammatory effectiveness and gastrointestinal safety. The inhibitory potency of MAS-1696 tested against cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2), 15-lipoxygenase-2 (15-LOX2), and lipoxygenase-5 (5-LOX) in vitro revealed a stronger inhibition of COX2. Furthermore, the MAS-1696 chimera increased the COX selectivity index by 23% as compared to the parent compound naproxen, implying higher efficacy and gastric safety. In vivo data showed that MAS-1696 was less likely to cause gastrointestinal harm than naproxen while also exerting anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects equivalent to or superior to naproxen. In conclusion, MAS-1696 is orally active, bio-labile, and crystalline, making it a medication that may be administered orally.