Preface

Chapter 6 **Applicability of Licorice Extracts for Treatment of Oral Diseases, Evaluated by Simplified In Vitro Assay Systems with**

Chapter 7 **In Vitro Fertilization Activators for Future 107**

Fujii, Takuhiro Uto and Yukihiro Shoyama

**Section 3 Action Mechanism of Immunomodulation by Licorice**

Chapter 8 **Isoliquiritigenin: A Unique Component That Attenuates**

Chapter 9 **Novel Mechanism Supporting Therapeutic Effects of Glycyrrhizin in Acute or Chronic Hepatitis 135**

Purnima Gupta, Anindita Ukil and Pijush K. Das

Hiroshi Sakagami, Takao Kato, Kunihiko Fukuchi, Taisei Kanamoto, Shigemi Terakubo, Hideki Nakashima, Hirokazu Ohno and Masaji

Hiromitsu Tanaka, Morimasa Wada, Nguyen Huu Tung, Shunsuke

**Adipose Tissue Inflammation and Fibrosis by Targeting the**

Yoshinori Nagai, Yasuharu Watanabe, Hiroe Honda and Kiyoshi

**Oral Cells 91**

**VI** Contents

Yamamoto

**Components 119**

Takatsu

**Innate Immune Sensors 121**

Noriyuki Kuroda and Tetsuji Sato

Chapter 10 **Bioactive Component of Licorice as an Antileishmanial Agent 147**

*Glycyrrhiza* is a genus of approximately 18 perennial plant species of the legume family (Fa‐ baceae), mostly grown in Asia, Australia, Europe, and the Americas. The genus is best known for liquorice (British English; licorice in American English). Licorice root extract is used as a single medicine or an additive to as many as 26 Kampo medicines to alleviate pain, allergy, and inflammation. Glycyrrhizin, a major component, is used as a sweetener and taste-masking agent. With rapid progress in the analytical methodology, the action mechanisms of licorice extracts are being elucidated. This book *Biological Activities and Action Mechanisms of Licorice Ingredient* has ten original chapters that are divided into three sections. Section 1 collects three introductory chapters: "Licorice as Alternative Medicine" (Chapter 1), "Its Industrial Application" (Chapter 2), and "Future Market and Trading Prospects of Licorice Between Japan and China" (Chapter 3). Section 2 collects the original review articles of "Structural-Activity Relationship of Licorice Phenolics Focusing on the Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activity" (Chapter 4), PPAR-γ Ligand-Binding Activity" (Chapter 5), "Antitu‐ mor and Antiviral Activity" (Chapter 6), and In Vitro Fertilization Activity" (Chapter 7). Sec‐ tion 3 proposes the action mechanism of immunomodulation induced by licorice components: "Antiadipose Tissue Inflammation and Antifibrosis Activity" (Chapter 8), "An‐ tihepatitis Activity" (Chapter 9), and "Antileishmanial Activity" (Chapter 10).

All of these chapters are written by experts in the multidisciplinary field spanning from the natural sciences to economics and will surely give new insight into licorice and its ingredients to students, clinicians, teachers, and researchers who have interest in alternative medicine.

#### **Hiroshi Sakagami**

Division of Pharmacology and Meikai Pharmaco-Medical Laboratory (MPL) Meikai University School of Dentistry, Japan

**History and Future Prospects of Licorice**

#### **Introductory Chapter: Future Prospect of Licorice, Popular Crude Drug and Food Sweetener Introductory Chapter: Future Prospect of Licorice, Popular Crude Drug and Food Sweetener**

#### Hiroshi Sakagami Hiroshi Sakagami

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/67003
