title: Evaluation of the safety and efficacy of Glycyrrhiza uralensis root extracts produced using artificial hydroponic and artificial hydroponic-field hybrid cultivation systems.
abstract: Glycyrrhiza uralensis roots used in this study were produced using novel cultivation systems, including artificial hydroponics and artificial hydroponic-field hybrid cultivation. The equivalency between G. uralensis root extracts produced by hydroponics and/or hybrid cultivation and a commercial Glycyrrhiza crude drug were evaluated for both safety and efficacy, and there were no significant differences in terms of mutagenicity on the Ames tests. The levels of cadmium and mercury in both hydroponic roots and crude drugs were less than the limit of quantitation. Arsenic levels were lower in all hydroponic roots than in the crude drug, whereas mean lead levels in the crude drug were not significantly different from those in the hydroponically cultivated G. uralensis roots. Both hydroponic and hybrid-cultivated root extracts showed antiallergic activities against contact hypersensitivity that were similar to those of the crude drug extracts. These study results suggest that hydroponic and hybrid-cultivated roots are equivalent in safety and efficacy to those of commercial crude drugs. Further studies are necessary before the roots are applicable as replacements for the currently available commercial crude drugs produced from wild plant resources.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Health Sciences, 1-18-1 Kamiyoga, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 158-8501, Japan. akiyama@nihs.go.jp.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Akiyama
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, 150 Yagotoyama, Tempaku, Nagoya, 468-8503, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nose
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Health Sciences, 1-18-1 Kamiyoga, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 158-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ohtsuki
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, 150 Yagotoyama, Tempaku, Nagoya, 468-8503, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hisaka
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Health Sciences, 1-18-1 Kamiyoga, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 158-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takiguchi
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Health Sciences, 1-18-1 Kamiyoga, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 158-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tada
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Health Sciences, 1-18-1 Kamiyoga, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 158-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sugimoto
authors.affiliation: Tsukuba Division, Research Center for Medicinal Plant Resources, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, 1-2 Hachimandai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 303-0843, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fuchino
authors.affiliation: Tsukuba Division, Research Center for Medicinal Plant Resources, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, 1-2 Hachimandai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 303-0843, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Inui
authors.affiliation: Tsukuba Division, Research Center for Medicinal Plant Resources, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, 1-2 Hachimandai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 303-0843, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kawano
authors.affiliation: Hokkaido Division, Research Center for Medicinal Plant Resources, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, 108-4 Aza Ohashi, Nayoro, Hokkaido, 096-0065, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.affiliation: Hokkaido Division, Research Center for Medicinal Plant Resources, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, 108-4 Aza Ohashi, Nayoro, Hokkaido, 096-0065, Japan.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hishida
authors.affiliation: Kajima Technical Research Institute, Kajima Corporation, 19-1, Tobitakyu 2-chome, Chofushi, Tokyo, 182-0036, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kudo
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Health Sciences, 1-18-1 Kamiyoga, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 158-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugiyama
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Health Sciences, 1-18-1 Kamiyoga, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 158-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Health Sciences, 1-18-1 Kamiyoga, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 158-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mutsuga
authors.affiliation: Tsukuba Division, Research Center for Medicinal Plant Resources, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, 1-2 Hachimandai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 303-0843, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kawahara
authors.affiliation: Tsukuba Division, Research Center for Medicinal Plant Resources, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, 1-2 Hachimandai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 303-0843, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshimatsu
mesh_terms: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry*; D029882:Glycyrrhiza uralensis / Q000737:chemistry*; D018527:Hydroponics / Q000379:methods*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal
keywords: Glycyrrhiza uralensis; Glycyrrhizic acid; Hydroponic cultivation; Licorice