Why the study?
Glycyrrhiza glabra roots are well studied, but less research has been conducted on the aerial parts, despite leaves being a good source of D-pinitol for insulin resistance-related pathologies.
A D-pinitol-rich extract from Glycyrrhiza glabra leaves reduces lipotoxicity-related hypertrophy and inflammation while improving insulin sensitivity in an in vitro adipocyte model.
GGLME may mitigate adipocyte lipotoxicity in vitro; leaves open therapeutic potential for insulin resistance pending in vivo studies.
Glycyrrhiza glabra roots have been well studied for their pharmacological activities, whereas less research has been conducted on liquorice aerial parts. Leaves represent a good source of D-pinitol, useful in the treatment of insulin resistance-related pathologies. Herein, we analyzed the in vitro effects of a D-pinitol-rich methanolic extract from Glycyrrhiza glabra leaves (GGLME) against lipotoxicity-related hypertrophy, inflammation, and insulin resistance in 3T3-L1 adipocytes exposed to palmitic acid (PA), comparing its activity with D-pinitol. GGLME pretreatment decreased lipid deposition, PPAR-γ, and NF-κB pathway induced by PA, similarly to D-pinitol, and improved insulin sensitivity, in presence or not of PA, increasing PI3K, pAkt, and GLUT1 levels. This study confirms that liquorice leaves, considered a waste of resource, could potentially be reused, and support further in vivo studies on animal and human models. In conclusion, liquorice leaves extract represents a potential candidate for prevention of metabolically induced inflammation, frequently leading to metabolic disorders.
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Molonia et al. (2021) studied this question.
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