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Glycyrrhiza inflata is a threatened perennial herb with medicinal value, which restricts in NW China and Mongolia. Its ally species, G. aspera, is widely distributed from northern China to Turkey. The complete chloroplast genomes were sequenced using the Illumina Hiseq X-Ten platform. Each of the genomes lacks an inverted repeat (IR) region, containing 76 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNAs genes, and 4 rRNAs. The overall GC contents are both 34.3%. A phylogenetic tree based on the whole chloroplast genomes of 15 species indicated that G. aspera and G. inflata belonged to a monophyletic Glycyrrhiza, which was nested in IRLC group of the subfamily Papilionoideae (Leguminosae).

Background A powdered ethanolic extract of Glycyrrhiza aspera root exhibits antimutagenic activity against N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) based on the Ames assay with Salmonella typhimurium TA1535. The aim of this study was to identify the antimutagenic components of the powdered ethanolic extract of G. aspera root. Results The powdered ethanolic extract of G. aspera root was sequentially suspended in n-hexane, carbon tetrachloride, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, and ethanol, and each solvent soluble fraction and the residue were assayed for antimutagenic activity against MNU in S. typhimurium TA1535. The dichloromethane soluble fraction exhibited the highest antimutagenicity and was fractionated several times by silica gel chromatography. The fraction with the highest antimutagenic activity was further purified using HPLC, and the fractions were assayed for antimutagenicity against MNU in S. typhimurium TA1535. Finally, five components with antimutagenic activity against MNU were identified as glyurallin A, glyasperin B, licoricidin, 1-methoxyphaseollin, and licoisoflavone B. Conclusions The five components were demonstrated to possess an antigenotoxic effect against carcinogenic MNU for the first time. It is important to prevent DNA damage by N-nitrosamines for cancer chemoprevention. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s41021-016-0068-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Antimutagenesis against N-nitroso compounds contribute to prevention of human cancer. We have found that Glycyrrhiza aspera ethanolic extract exhibits antimutagenic activity against N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) using the Ames assay with Salmonella typhimurium TA1535. In the present study, eight purified components from Glycyrrhiza, namely glabridin, glycyrrhetinic acid, glycyrrhizin, licochalcone A, licoricesaponin H2, licoricesaponin G2, liquiritigenin and liquiritin were evaluated for their antimutagenicity against MNU in the Ames assay with S. typhimurium TA1535. Glycyrrhetinic acid, glycyrrhizin, licoricesaponin G2, licoricesaponin H2 and liquiritin did not show the antimutagenicity against MNU in S. typhimurium TA1535. Glabridin, licochalcone A and liquiritigenin reduced revertant colonies derived from MNU in S. typhimurium TA1535 without showing cytotoxic effects, indicating that these compounds possess antimutagenic activity against MNU. The inhibitory activity of glabridin and licochalcone A was more effective than that of liquiritigenin. Thus, Glycyrrhiza contains antimutagenic components against DNA alkylating, direct-acting carcinogens.

From the air-dried roots of Glycyrrhiza aspera PALL. (Leguminosae) collected in Xinjiang province, China (known as a kind of "Shinkyo-Kanzo"), five new flavonoid compounds named glucoisoliquiritin apioside (1) (a chalcone bisdesmosidic triglycoside), 7-O-apioglucosyl-7, 4'-dihydroxyflavone (5) (a flavone diglycoside), dehydroglyasperin C (7) (a prenylated isoflav-3-ene derivative), asperopterocarpin (9) and 1-methoxyphaseollidin (12) (an O-prenylpterocarpan and a C-prenylpterocarpan, respectively), were isolated together with four known saponins, one known flavonoid O-glycoside, two known flavonoid C-glycosides, and seven flavonoids. The structures of the new compounds have been elucidated on the basis of their chemical and physicochemical properties. Some pterocarpan compounds showed moderate cytotoxic activity against KB and L1210 cells.

Two new isoprenoid-substituted isoflavanones, glyasperins K and M, a 3-arylcoumarin, glyasperin L, and an isoflavone, glyasperin N, were isolated from the roots of Glycyrrhiza aspera. The structures of glyasperins K-N were elucidated by spectroscopic methods.

Glyasperin E 1, a new 3-phenoxychromen-4-one derivative, has been isolated from the roots of Glycyrrhiza aspera. The structure of glyasperin E 1 was established first on the basis of spectroscopic evidence and then confirmed by synthesis. Glyasperin E dimethyl ether 1a was synthesized by way of the ring closure of compound 5b with ethoxalyl chloride in pyridine, and then decarboxylation, methylation and prenylation.

Background. Helicobacter pylori is the major worldwide cause of bacterial gastrointestinal infections in adults and children. Antibiotic therapy and a combination of two or three drugs have been widely used to eradicate these infections. However, development of drug resistance in bacteria calls for new sources of drugs, and plants seem to be a logical source of new antibacterial compounds. Methods. The anti-H. pylori activities of six native Iranian plants (Glycyrrhiza aspera, Juglans regia, Ligustrum vulgare, Thymus kotschyanus, Trachyspermum copticum and Xanthium brasilicum) and seven antibiotics were determined against 70 clinical isolates from children using the disk susceptibility assay. Minimum inhibitory concentrations were also measured for the biologically active extracts. One extract with the best anti-H. pylori activity was fractionated by silica gel and thin layer chromatography and the active compounds were identified by hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance (1HNMR) spectroscopy. Results. All plant extracts showed anti-H. pylori activity by the disk sensitivity method, but the most active extracts were those from X. brasilicum and T. copticum. In fact, the anti-H. pylori activities of the two extracts were superior to the disk antibiotic susceptibility profile. Minimum inhibitory concentrations were within the range of 31.25–250 µg/ml. Fractionation and chemical identification of the extract from X. brasilicum showed the presence of two substances, a flavonoid and a xanthanolide. Conclusion. Due to the rise in antibiotic resistance, new sources of anti-H. pylori drugs are needed. The use of medicinal plants and/or their chemical components may have potential benefit in eradicating such problems.

Glyasperin E 1, a new 3-phenoxychromen-4-one derivative, has been isolated from the roots of Glycyrrhiza aspera. The structure of glyasperin E 1 was established first on the basis of spectroscopic evidence and then confirmed by synthesis. Glyasperin E dimethyl ether 1a was synthesized by way of the ring closure of compound 5b with ethoxalyl chloride in pyridine, and then decarboxylation, methylation and prenylation.

Four new prenylated flavonoids, glyasperins A (1), B (2), C (3),n and D (4), along with ten known compounds were isolated from the roots of Glycyrrhiza aspera. The structures of glyasperins A-D were elucidated by spectroscopic methods

Five new isoprenoid-substituted flavonoids, glyasperins F (1), G (2), H (3), I (4) and J (5) were isolated from the roots of Glycyrrhiza aspera. The structures of glyasperins F-J were elucidated by spectroscopic methods