Chunyu Li , Jiayao Zhou

Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Center, Cuixi Academy of Biotechnology, Zhuji, 311800, Zhejiang, China
Author    Correspondence author
Medicinal Plant Research, 2025, Vol. 15, No. 6   doi: 10.5376/mpr.2025.15.0030
Received: 25 Oct., 2025    Accepted: 15 Nov., 2025    Published: 26 Dec., 2025

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Li C.Y., and Zhou J.Y., 2025, Systematic review of anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties of Glycyrrhiza, Medicinal Plant Research, 15(6): 283-290 (doi: 10.5376/mpr.2025.15.0030)

Glycyrrhiza spp., a commonly used medicinal herb originating from plants of the genus Glycyrrhiza spp., exhibits significant anti-inflammatory and antiviral activities. The primary bioactive components of licorice include flavonoids, triterpenoids (including glycyrrhizic acid), polysaccharides, and other secondary metabolites. Many studies have reported that these compounds intervene in inflammation and viral infections through regulating various inflammatory mediators such as TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, key signaling pathways such as NF-κB, MAPK, JAK/STAT immune cell functions, and antioxidant and cytoprotective effects. The molecular mechanisms underlying the antiviral activity of licorice against viral replication and invasion have also been systematically explored both in vitro and in vivo. In recent years, critical roles of multi-omics approaches (genomics, proteomics, metabolomics), systems biology, and network pharmacology have been demonstrated in the study of the action mechanism of licorice bioactives, while the application of artificial intelligence and big data provides new instruments in the research of natural products. Licorice has the potential to be used in anti-inflammatory and antiviral therapy, as indicated by clinical studies, although its pharmacokinetics, bioavailability, standardized extraction, and safety need further assessment. The study will systematically summarize the progress, mechanisms, and application prospects of the anti-inflammatory and antiviral activities of licorice, providing theoretical guidance for the development of natural drugs, public health, and clinical use.

Glycyrrhiza; Anti-inflammatory; Antiviral; Flavonoids/triterpenoids; Multi-omics