Liquorice Components as Antimalarial Agents
Licochalcone is a component of liquorice and seems to have promising antimalarial activity.
In continuation of a drug discovery program by Tadigoppula et al they isolated two chalcones & synthesised a range of 88 chalcones were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro antimalarial activity.
Good in vitro antimalarial activity against Malaria with low cytotoxicity were shown. These chalcones also showed reduction in parasitemia and increased survival time in an animal model. The liquorice compounds showed modest inhibitory activity against the major hemoglobin degrading a cysteine protease. Evidence indicates that cysteine proteases play essential role in malaria parasites.
Liquorice is a key component used by InnOrbit in their range of healthy natural drinks.
