Study on component change regularity in honey-processed licorice processing and verifying its enhanced antiarrhythmic...

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Natural Product Chemistry
• Traditional Chinese Medicine

Background:

• Honey-processing is a traditional method for modifying herbal medicines like liquorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis).
• The impact of specific processing parameters on liquorice's chemical profile and antiarrhythmic properties requires detailed investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To optimize honey-processing parameters for liquorice.
• To elucidate the dynamic chemical transformations during processing.
• To evaluate the antiarrhythmic efficacy and underlying mechanisms of optimized liquorice.

Main Methods:

• Controlled stir-frying of liquorice with honey under defined conditions (700 W, 13.5 min, 120°C).
• Chemical analysis using chromatography to identify key compounds and transformations.
• Pharmacological evaluation in a zebrafish arrhythmia model.
• Metabolomic analysis to identify therapeutic pathways.

Main Results:

• Optimal processing conditions identified as stir-frying at 700 W for 13.5 min at 120°C.
• Processing led to hydrolysis of glycosides, dehydration, dihydroflavonoid-chalcone conversion, and Maillard reactions.
• Optimized honey-processed liquorice showed enhanced liquiritin and glycyrrhizic acid levels.
• Superior cardioprotective effects observed in zebrafish, with isoliquiritin identified as the most potent antiarrhythmic component.
• Unsaturated fatty acid metabolism identified as a key therapeutic pathway.

Conclusions:

• Optimized honey-processing significantly alters liquorice composition, enhancing antiarrhythmic efficacy.
• Isoliquiritin is a principal bioactive component responsible for the observed cardioprotective effects.
• This study provides a scientific basis for traditional liquorice processing techniques.