Study of antioxidants and anticancer activity of licorice [Glycyrrhiza glabra] extracts

ABSTRACT

Licorice root [Glycyrrhizia glabra] was analyzed for its major constant. Water and ethanolic extracts of licorice were obtained. Ethanolic extracts were analyzed for its contents of polyphenols and flavonoids and evaluated as natural antioxidant in comparison with commercial antioxidant [Rutin-BHT-BHA-TBHQ]. Also the efficiency of licorice ethanolic extract as anticancer agent for breast, colon and liver was evaluated. When licorice extracts were evaluated as natural antioxidant by microsomes, DPPH and Deoxyribose, the results showed that the ethanolic extract, was somewhat more efficient than the water extract but still it was similar to BHA and BHT at 100 ppm but was less efficient than TBHQ. Study revealed that ethanolic extract has strong antihepatic cancer activity at 16.1 micro g/ml and anti breast cancer activity at 100 micro g/ml, while it has no effect in colon cancer at 100 micro g/ml