title: Dietary licorice root supplementation reduces diet-induced weight gain, lipid deposition, and hepatic steatosis in ovariectomized mice without stimulating reproductive tissues and mammary gland.
abstract: METHODS
  We studied the impact of dietary supplementation with licorice root components on diet-induced obesity, fat accumulation, and hepatic steatosis in ovariectomized C57BL/6 mice as a menopause model.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated the molecular and physiological effects of dietary licorice root administered to ovariectomized C57BL/6 mice as root powder (LRP), extracts (LRE), or isolated isoliquiritigenin (ILQ) on reproductive (uterus and mammary gland) and nonreproductive tissues important in regulating metabolism (liver, perigonadal, perirenal, mesenteric, and subcutaneous fat). Quantitative outcome measures including body weight, fat distribution (magnetic resonance imaging), food consumption, bone density and weight (Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry), and gene expression were assessed by the degree of restoration to the preovariectomized health state. We characterized histological (H&E and oil red O staining) and molecular properties (expression of certain disease markers) of these tissues, and correlated these with metabolic phenotype as well as blood levels of bioactives.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although LRE and ILQ provided some benefit, LRP was the most effective in reducing body weight gain, overall fat deposition, liver steatosis, and expression of hepatic lipid synthesis genes following ovariectomy. Our data demonstrate that licorice root provided improvement of multiple metabolic parameters under conditions of low estrogen and high-fat diets without stimulating reproductive tissues.
authors.affiliation: Botanical Research Center, Departments of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Zeynep
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Madak-Erdogan
authors.affiliation: Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.affiliation: Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Yiru Chen
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Liwen
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Botanical Research Center, Departments of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Kinga U
authors.initials: KU
authors.lastname: Wrobel
authors.affiliation: Botanical Research Center, Departments of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hartman
authors.affiliation: Botanical Research Center, Departments of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Botanical Research Center, Departments of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cam
authors.affiliation: Skeletal Biology Laboratory, School of Biological and Population Health Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA.
authors.forename: Urszula T
authors.initials: UT
authors.lastname: Iwaniec
authors.affiliation: Skeletal Biology Laboratory, School of Biological and Population Health Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA.
authors.forename: Russell T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.affiliation: National Center for Toxicological Research, Jefferson, AR, USA.
authors.forename: Nathan C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Twaddle
authors.affiliation: National Center for Toxicological Research, Jefferson, AR, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Doerge
authors.affiliation: National Center for Natural Product Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi University, MS, USA.|Division of Pharmacognosy Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi University, MS, USA.
authors.forename: Ikhlas A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Katzenellenbogen
authors.affiliation: Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Benita S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Katzenellenbogen
authors.affiliation: Botanical Research Center, Departments of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.
authors.forename: William G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Helferich
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000818:Animals; D050218:Body Fat Distribution; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D059305:Diet, High-Fat / Q000009:adverse effects; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D044950:Flavanones / Q000494:pharmacology; D006035:Glycyrrhiza / Q000737:chemistry*; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects*; D008321:Mammary Glands, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000178:diet therapy*; D010052:Ovariectomy; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D014599:Uterus / Q000187:drug effects; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D044950:Flavanones; C083152:liquiritigenin
keywords: Botanical estrogens; Dietary supplements; Estrogen receptor; Licorice root; Menopause; Metabolism