Active compounds of licorice ameliorate microplastics-induced intestinal damage by targeting FADD

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Toxicology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Microplastics (MPs) are emerging environmental pollutants with potential human health risks.
• The impact of MPs on internal organs like the colon and liver requires further investigation.
• Licorice and its active compounds possess known anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the protective effects of licorice active compounds against MP-induced injury in rats.
• To elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms of licorice's protective action.
• To identify specific protein targets involved in the therapeutic response.

Main Methods:

• Establishment of a rat model with microplastic-induced colon and liver injury.
• Treatment with a combination of liquiritigenin, isoliquiritigenin, and glycyrrhetinic acid.
• Assessment of tissue damage, oxidative stress, inflammation, and tight junction proteins.
• Label-free proteomics to identify differentially expressed proteins.

Main Results:

• Licorice compounds significantly ameliorated colonic and liver damage induced by MPs.
• Improved colonic barrier function and liver function were observed.
• Reduced oxidative stress and systemic inflammatory factors were noted.
• Fas-associating protein with a novel death domain (FADD) was identified as a key down-regulated protein interacting with licorice compounds.

Conclusions:

• Licorice active compounds demonstrate significant protective efficacy against microplastic-induced tissue injury in rats.
• The protective mechanism involves down-regulating FADD and direct interaction with the protein.
• This study highlights licorice as a potential therapeutic agent for microplastic-related health issues.