Metabolomic and Pharmacologic Insights of Aerial and Underground Parts of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. ex DC. for Maximum Utilization of Medicinal Resources

The roots of Glycyrrhiza spp. have been utilized in Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for thousands of years. Non-traditional (aerial) parts constitute a large portion of the biomass of Glycyrrhiza plants and are mostly discarded after harvesting the roots and rhizomes. Through comparative phytochemical and anti-inflammatory activity analyses, this study explored the potential benefits of the aerial parts of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. ex DC. as medicinal materials. First, a combined approach based on GC/MS and UHPLC-ESI-QTof MS analysis was adopted for the identification and quantitative examination of medicinally important compounds from G. uralensis. Additionally, a bioassay-guided fractioning of ethanolic extracts of G. uralensis leaf material was performed and its anti-inflammatory activity was tested. The aerial portion of G. uralensis was rich in medicinally important compounds. Two compounds (henicosane-1 and decahydroisoquinoline-2) were found to exert a significant anti-inflammatory effect, inhibiting the release of pro-inflammatory mediators (NO and PGE2) and cytokines (IL-1β, IL6, and TNF-α), without exerting cytotoxic effects. Moreover, both compounds down-regulated iNOS and COX-2 mRNA expression. These results suggest that non-traditional parts of G. uralensis are suitable sources of bioactive metabolites that can be explored for medicinal purposes.