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Pharmacological Effects of Natural Compounds
Research Guide
What is Pharmacological Effects of Natural Compounds?
Pharmacological Effects of Natural Compounds is the study of bioactive compounds derived from plants, such as glycyrrhizin from licorice roots, and their antiviral, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, and anticancer properties in pharmacology.
This field encompasses 77,005 papers focused on the pharmacological effects of licorice roots and compounds like glycyrrhizin, covering antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties, hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects, and applications in cancer treatment. Research also examines historical and traditional uses of licorice in herbal medicine. Growth rate over the past five years is not available.
Topic Hierarchy
Research Sub-Topics
Glycyrrhizin Antiviral Pharmacology
Researchers elucidate glycyrrhizin's mechanisms inhibiting viral replication via interferon induction and membrane interference in viruses like HCV and SARS-CoV. Clinical trials and in vitro studies assess bioavailability and synergy with antiretrovirals.
Glycyrrhizin Anti-Inflammatory Effects
This sub-topic investigates glycyrrhizin's suppression of NF-κB, COX-2, and cytokine pathways in models of arthritis and colitis. Dose-response studies explore 11β-HSD1 inhibition and glucocorticoid-like actions without side effects.
Licorice Hepatoprotective Mechanisms
Studies demonstrate glycyrrhizin and glycyrrhetinic acid protecting against CCl4, alcohol, and acetaminophen hepatotoxicity via Nrf2 activation and apoptosis inhibition. Pharmacokinetic analyses support IV formulations like Stronger Neo-Minophagen C.
Glycyrrhizin Antioxidant Properties
Research measures glycyrrhizin's scavenging of ROS/RNS, upregulation of SOD/GSH, and mitigation of oxidative stress in ischemia-reperfusion models. Structure-activity relationships compare aglycone forms across cellular and animal assays.
Licorice Compounds in Cancer Pharmacology
Investigators explore glycyrrhetinic acid's induction of apoptosis, autophagy, and cell cycle arrest in prostate, liver, and breast cancer lines. Combinatorial studies with chemotherapy assess chemosensitization and tumor microenvironment modulation.
Why It Matters
Pharmacological effects of natural compounds support drug discovery from herbal medicines, as shown in "TCMSP: a database of systems pharmacology for drug discovery from herbal medicines" by Ru et al. (2014), which provides a systems pharmacology database for analyzing herbal ingredients and targets. "Discovery and resupply of pharmacologically active plant-derived natural products: A review" by Atanasov et al. (2015) reviews plant-derived natural products as sources of therapeutic molecules, noting their historical value in identifying novel drug leads with 2689 citations. "The Traditional Medicine and Modern Medicine from Natural Products" by Yuan et al. (2016) connects traditional systems like Chinese medicine to modern pharmacology, highlighting natural products' role in regulated medical practices with 2293 citations. These works demonstrate applications in antiviral therapies, inflammation control, and cancer treatment through licorice-derived glycyrrhizin.
Reading Guide
Where to Start
"TCMSP: a database of systems pharmacology for drug discovery from herbal medicines" by Ru et al. (2014) is the starting point for beginners, as it introduces a practical database for analyzing pharmacological effects of herbal compounds like those from licorice, with 4764 citations.
Key Papers Explained
"TCMSP: a database of systems pharmacology for drug discovery from herbal medicines" by Ru et al. (2014) establishes tools for herbal drug analysis, which "Discovery and resupply of pharmacologically active plant-derived natural products: A review" by Atanasov et al. (2015) builds on by reviewing plant sourcing for therapeutics. "The Traditional Medicine and Modern Medicine from Natural Products" by Yuan et al. (2016) connects these to traditional systems, integrating database insights with historical pharmacology. "Principles of interleukin (IL)-6-type cytokine signalling and its regulation" by Heinrich et al. (2003) provides signaling context relevant to anti-inflammatory effects.
Paper Timeline
Most-cited paper highlighted in red. Papers ordered chronologically.
Advanced Directions
Current research frontiers emphasize licorice glycyrrhizin's antiviral and anticancer applications, as inferred from the 77,005 papers in the cluster, though no recent preprints or news are available.
Papers at a Glance
| # | Paper | Year | Venue | Citations | Open Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Studies on products of browning reaction. Antioxidative activi... | 1986 | The Japanese Journal o... | 7.4K | ✓ |
| 2 | Jak-STAT Pathways and Transcriptional Activation in Response t... | 1994 | Science | 6.1K | ✕ |
| 3 | A peripheral mononeuropathy in rat that produces disorders of ... | 1988 | Pain | 5.3K | ✕ |
| 4 | TCMSP: a database of systems pharmacology for drug discovery f... | 2014 | Journal of Cheminforma... | 4.8K | ✓ |
| 5 | Commensal <i>Bifidobacterium</i> promotes antitumor immunity a... | 2015 | Science | 3.6K | ✓ |
| 6 | Principles of interleukin (IL)-6-type cytokine signalling and ... | 2003 | Biochemical Journal | 3.2K | ✓ |
| 7 | Discovery and resupply of pharmacologically active plant-deriv... | 2015 | Biotechnology Advances | 2.7K | ✓ |
| 8 | The Traditional Medicine and Modern Medicine from Natural Prod... | 2016 | Molecules | 2.3K | ✓ |
| 9 | Mechanisms of action of transmitters and other substances on s... | 1979 | Physiological Reviews | 2.2K | ✕ |
| 10 | The formalin test in mice: dissociation between inflammatory a... | 1987 | Pain | 2.2K | ✕ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main bioactive compounds studied in pharmacological effects of natural compounds?
Glycyrrhizin from licorice roots is a primary bioactive compound examined for antiviral, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, and antioxidant effects. Research covers its applications in cancer treatment and traditional herbal medicine uses. The field includes 77,005 papers on these properties.
How does TCMSP contribute to studying pharmacological effects of natural compounds?
"TCMSP: a database of systems pharmacology for drug discovery from herbal medicines" by Ru et al. (2014) offers a database for systems pharmacology analysis of herbal medicines. It facilitates drug discovery by integrating compound-target networks from traditional Chinese medicine. The paper has 4764 citations.
What role do plant-derived natural products play in modern pharmacology?
"Discovery and resupply of pharmacologically active plant-derived natural products: A review" by Atanasov et al. (2015) states that medicinal plants provide molecules with therapeutic potential for novel drug leads. It reviews challenges in resupply and identification from plant sources. The review has 2689 citations.
How do traditional medicines from natural products integrate with modern medicine?
"The Traditional Medicine and Modern Medicine from Natural Products" by Yuan et al. (2016) describes systems like traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda as sources of orderly-regulated pharmacology. It emphasizes natural products' importance in bridging traditional and modern practices. The paper has 2293 citations.
What are the key pharmacological properties of licorice root compounds?
Licorice root compounds like glycyrrhizin exhibit antiviral, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, and antioxidant effects. Studies explore their potential in cancer treatment and historical herbal medicine applications. This cluster includes 77,005 works on these topics.
Open Research Questions
- ? How can systems pharmacology databases like TCMSP predict novel interactions between licorice-derived glycyrrhizin and human targets for antiviral therapies?
- ? What mechanisms underlie the hepatoprotective effects of glycyrrhizin, and how do they interact with oxidative stress pathways?
- ? Which resupply strategies can scale production of pharmacologically active natural products from licorice for clinical applications?
- ? How do traditional uses of licorice in herbal medicine align with modern evidence for its anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties?
Recent Trends
The field maintains a corpus of 77,005 papers on licorice root pharmacology, with no specified five-year growth rate and no recent preprints or news coverage in the last six and twelve months, respectively.
Highly cited works like "TCMSP: a database of systems pharmacology for drug discovery from herbal medicines" by Ru et al. (2014, 4764 citations) and "Discovery and resupply of pharmacologically active plant-derived natural products: A review" by Atanasov et al. (2015, 2689 citations) continue to anchor studies on glycyrrhizin effects.
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