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Breast cancer prevention with liquiritigenin from licorice through the inhibition of aromatase and protein biosynthesis in high-risk women's breast tissue.

Authors :
Hajirahimkhan A
Howell C
Bartom ET
Dong H
Lantvit DD
Xuei X
Chen SN
Pauli GF
Bolton JL
Clare SE
Khan SA
Dietz BM
Source :
Scientific reports [Sci Rep] 2023 May 30; Vol. 13 (1), pp. 8734. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 May 30.
Publication Year :
2023

Abstract

Breast cancer risk continues to increase post menopause. Anti-estrogen therapies are available to prevent postmenopausal breast cancer in high-risk women. However, their adverse effects have reduced acceptability and overall success in cancer prevention. Natural products such as hops (Humulus lupulus) and three pharmacopeial licorice (Glycyrrhiza) species have demonstrated estrogenic and chemopreventive properties, but little is known regarding their effects on aromatase expression and activity as well as pro-proliferation pathways in human breast tissue. We show that Gycyrrhiza inflata (GI) has the highest aromatase inhibition potency among these plant extracts. Moreover, phytoestrogens such as liquiritigenin which is common in all licorice species have potent aromatase inhibitory activity, which is further supported by computational docking of their structures in the binding pocket of aromatase. In addition, GI extract and liquiritigenin suppress aromatase expression in the breast tissue of high-risk postmenopausal women. Although liquiritigenin has estrogenic effects in vitro, with preferential activity through estrogen receptor (ER)-β, it reduces estradiol-induced uterine growth in vivo. It downregulates RNA translation, protein biosynthesis, and metabolism in high-risk women's breast tissue. Finally, it reduces the rate of MCF-7 cell proliferation, with repeated dosing. Collectively, these data suggest that liquiritigenin has breast cancer prevention potential for high-risk postmenopausal women.<br /> (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
2045-2322
Volume :
13
Issue :
1
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
Scientific reports
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
37253812
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-34762-z