Chaihu-Shugan San ameliorates perimenopausal obesity with depression by coordinately targeting hepatic PGC-1α/CYP8B1/PPARγ signaling and gut barrier integrity.
Chen Q, Liu J, Wang J, Yin T, Wu Y
Medicinal Plants
Licorice root you can grow in a sunny border and the grapefruit sitting on your counter both carry compounds — glycyrrhizic acid and naringenin — that researchers just identified as the active drivers behind a centuries-old herbal formula's ability to restore metabolic balance.
Scientists tested an ancient Chinese herbal blend on mice going through menopause while eating a high-fat diet and experiencing chronic stress. The herbal mix reduced weight gain, improved liver health, and calmed anxiety-like behavior by fixing how the liver handles fats and by tightening up the gut wall to stop inflammation from spreading through the body. The plants doing most of the work turned out to be licorice root and citrus, both long-used in traditional medicine.
Key Findings
CHSGS significantly reduced serum and liver triglycerides, total cholesterol, and LDL-C while reversing fatty liver changes in a mouse model combining surgical menopause, chronic stress, and high-fat feeding.
Transcriptomic profiling and protein validation identified restoration of the PGC-1α/CYP8B1/PPARγ liver signaling axis as the core mechanism behind the formula's metabolic benefits.
Glycyrrhizic acid (licorice root), naringin, and naringenin (citrus) were pinpointed as the principal bioactive compounds, showing the strongest molecular docking affinities for the key protein targets.
chevron_right Technical Summary
A classic Chinese herbal formula called Chaihu-Shugan San was shown to reduce obesity, depression-like behavior, and fatty liver in menopausal mice by rebalancing liver fat metabolism and reinforcing the gut lining. The key therapeutic compounds were traced to licorice root and citrus fruits within the formula.
Abstract Preview
Perimenopausal obesity and depression are highly prevalent and debilitating comorbidities in aging women, yet effective integrative treatment options remain limited. Chaihu Shugan San (CHSGS), a cl...
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Liquorice or licorice is the common name of Glycyrrhiza glabra, a flowering plant of the bean family Fabaceae, from the root of which a sweet, aromatic flavouring is extracted.