Licorice root compounds curb colon tumors in mice by feeding helpful gut bacteria
Li Y, Wen J, Huang D, Wang Z, Peng Y
Medicinal Plants
The licorice root behind the candy and herbal teas in your cupboard holds compounds that, in mice, changed gut bacteria enough to slow colon tumor growth, a reminder that a garden-grown medicinal herb can act through your microbiome.
Researchers fed mice flavonoids from Chinese licorice root and found fewer colon tumors and a healthier gut lining. The compounds shifted the gut bacteria toward types that make short-chain fatty acids like butyrate, and those acids turned down an enzyme (IDO1) that helps tumors grow. When mice lacked that enzyme, licorice lost most of its protective effect, so the enzyme is a key part of the story.
Key Findings
Licorice flavonoids markedly reduced tumor formation in both AOM/DSS and Apcmin/+ colorectal cancer mouse models and restored intestinal barrier integrity.
Treatment enriched short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria (Parabacteroides, Paramuribaculum, Parasutterella), raising fecal butyric, isobutyric, valeric and isovaleric acids, which downregulated IDO1 in cancer cells.
LF's protective effect was substantially diminished in IDO1-knockout mice, and LF also suppressed WNT/TGF-β signaling, shifting tryptophan metabolism from kynurenine toward microbial indoles.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Flavonoids from licorice root shrank colorectal tumors in mice by reshaping gut bacteria to make more short-chain fatty acids, which switch off a cancer-supporting enzyme called IDO1. The finding points to a plant-based route for preventing colon cancer, though it's so far shown only in mice and cell studies.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
IDO1 integrates gut microbiota-derived SCFAs signals and host WNT/TGF-β pathways to mediate the anti-colorectal cancer effects of licorice flavonoids.
Licorice flavonoids (LF), bioactive components of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch, exhibit promising anti-colorectal cancer (CRC) potential. However, the mechanism by which LF inhibits CRC remains uncl...
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Glycyrrhiza uralensis, also known as Chinese liquorice, is a flowering plant native to Asia. It is used as a sweetener and in traditional Chinese medicine.