title: Identification of licocoumarone as an apoptosis-inducing component in licorice.
abstract: The 70% methanol soluble fraction from a licorice acetone extract was found to inhibit cell proliferation in human monoblastic leukemia U937 cells by inducing apoptosis. Separation by the methods including preparative HPLC provided us with an active compound, which was identified as licocoumarone. Several lines of evidence indicated that licocoumarone induced apoptosis in U937 cells. Thus, licocoumarone is suggested to be potentially useful as a natural anti-cancer agent.
authors.affiliation: School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Sumio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hayakawa
authors.forename: Mamoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Isemura
authors.forename: Shigenori
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumazawa
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.forename: Chihiro
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Toshioki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawakami
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D001572:Benzofurans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006035:Glycyrrhiza / Q000737:chemistry*; D006131:Growth Inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D018517:Plant Roots; D020298:U937 Cells
chemical_list: D001572:Benzofurans; D006131:Growth Inhibitors; D010936:Plant Extracts