Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch essential oils and glabridin ameliorates histamine-induced inflammation in KM mice

Huarun Li; Shiyu Wen; Xiangyue Zhao; Xiuxian Zhou; Xianwen Li; Hongping Xiang; Lanyue Zhang; Si Qin

doi:10.1016/j.fitote.2026.107146

Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch essential oils and glabridin ameliorates histamine-induced inflammation in KM mice

Fitoterapia. 2026 Feb 16:190:107146. doi: 10.1016/j.fitote.2026.107146. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Huarun Li¹, Shiyu Wen¹, Xiangyue Zhao², Xiuxian Zhou², Xianwen Li³, Hongping Xiang⁴, Lanyue Zhang⁵, Si Qin⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Dermatology, The Affiliated Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510317, China.
² The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
³ Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou 510005, China.
⁴ Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Soft Condensed Matter, School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.
⁵ Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Biorefinery, School of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China. Electronic address: zhanglanyue@gdut.edu.cn.
⁶ Department of Dermatology, The Affiliated Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510317, China. Electronic address: vanness1988@163.com.

PMID: 41707881
DOI: 10.1016/j.fitote.2026.107146

Abstract

Traditional Chinese medicine Glycyrrhiza uralensis (G. uralensis) exerts anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects. However, there is currently no valid evidence regarding its anti-histamine effect. This study aimed to elucidate the antihistamine effect of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch essential oils (GUEOs) and glabridin (Gla) extracted from G. uralensis in SPF KM mice and investigate the underlying mechanisms. The chemical components of GUEOs were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and quality control was conducted. An acute histamine allergy model was established in SPF KM mice following one week of continuous histamine administration. Scratching behavior and appearance of back scratches were observed. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was used to detect the thickness of the mouse dermis. Toluidine blue staining was performed on dermal tissues to count the number of mast cells. Immunohistochemistry was used to determine the integrated optical density (IOD) values of nerve growth factor (NGF) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Quantitative Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to determine the relative intensity of IL-4 and IL-6. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed to detect the content of interferon-γ (IFN-γ)，IL-1 and filaggrin (FLG). Compared with the model group, both the GUEOs and Gla groups exhibited reduced scratching behavior in mice, accompanied by epidermal thinning, decreased mast cell numbers, downregulated expression of IL-1β, NGF, IL-4, IL-6, IFN-γ, and IL-1, and upregulated FLG expression. We showed that GUEOs and Gla exert a favorable inhibitory effect on histamine-induced allergic inflammation in mice, suggesting that G. uralensis can serve as a promising natural anti-histamine agent.

Keywords: Allergic; Anti-histamine; Glabridin; Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch essential oils; Medicine.