Liquorice and AIDS

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LiquoriceUpdated: Aug 01, 2003 The liquorice plant is widely used in Chinese

medicine in combination with other herbs, and the root extract has been used in

Japan to treat liver disease and stomach ulcers.

 

Glycyrrhizin is the name of the extract from the root of the liquorice plant

glycyrrhizia radix.

 

Although little is known about the immunomodulatory or anti-viral effects of

liquorice, there has been some interest in glycyrrhizin as an anti-HIV treatment

in Japan, where the root extract is prescribed in a formulation called “Stronger

Neo-Minophagen C” (SNMC), which also contains cysteine and glycine. These

ingredients are said to target the compound specifically to the liver and

prevent it from disturbing the regulation of reabsorption of sodium and

potassium in the kidneys. Another formulation of glycyrrhizin, “Glycyron”, also

contains glycine and cysteine.

 

Adverse reactions reported include low potassium levels, muscle weakness and

soreness, high blood pressure and fluid retention.

 

In 1993 Japanese researchers reported a significant improvement in liver

function amongst 42 HIV-positive haemophiliacs treated with intravenous doses of

either 100-200 or 400-800 ml of glycyrrhizin for eleven weeks. Some improvement

in other HIV-related symptoms such as lymphadenopathy was also noted during the

treatment period. There was no control group. The authors suggested that

prophylactic treatment with glycyrrhizin to prevent liver dysfunction in

seropositive haemophiliacs is indicated by the results (Mori).

 

Laboratory studies show that glycyrrhizin has anti-HIV effects; in particular,

it has been demonstrated that glycyrrhizin can block cell-to-cell HIV infection,

whereas AZT cannot (Ito; Tochikura; Hirabayashi). The mechanism by which this

occurs is unclear, since it has no measurable effect on reverse transcriptase.

It can also reduce levels of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) production by cells in

the test tube. TNF plays a role in the wasting seen in AIDS and may trigger

dormant viruses such as HIV to reproduce in cells (Mashiba).

 

Glycyrrhizin is not an anti-oxidant, as some researchers have speculated, but

does exert an anti-inflammatory effect (Akamatsu).

 

 

 

References

 

Akamatsu H. Mechanism of anti-inflammatory action of glycyrrhizin: effect on

neutrophil functions including reactive oxygen species generation. Planta Medica

57:119-121 , 1991.

 

Hirabayashi K et al. Antiviral activities of glycyrrhizin and its modified

compounds against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and herpes simplex virus

in vitro. Chemical and Pharmaceutical Bulletin 39(1):112-115, 1991.

 

Ito M et al. Inhibitory effect of glycyrrhizin on the in vitro infectivity and

cytopathic activity of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Antiviral

Research 7:127-137, 1987.

 

Mashiba H et al. Augmented antiproliferative effect of tumour necrosis factor

(TNF), lymphotoxin and glycyrrhizin in combined use with diethylcarbamate on

MethA tumour cells in vitro. Journal of Experimental Medicine 158:25-35, 1989.

 

Mori K. Effects of glycyrrhizin in haemophilia patients with HIV-1 infection.

Journal of the National Medical Association 4:2-9, 1993.

 

Tochikura TS et al. Antiviral agents with activity against human retroviruses.

Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes 2(5):441-447, 1989.

 

 

 

 

 

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