Licorice Compound Shows Breast Cancer Prevention Potential
Quick Summary: Research suggests a compound in licorice may help prevent breast cancer in high-risk women by blocking an enzyme that makes estrogen and slowing down cell growth. Hops was also tested but showed weaker effects.
What The Research Found
Scientists found that a compound called liquiritigenin, found in licorice, can stop an enzyme called aromatase. Aromatase helps make estrogen, which can fuel some breast cancers. The study showed that liquiritigenin reduced aromatase activity in breast tissue samples from women at high risk for breast cancer. It also slowed down the growth of breast cancer cells in the lab. Hops extract showed weaker effects.
Study Details
- Who was studied: Breast tissue samples from women at high risk for breast cancer and lab-grown breast cancer cells.
- How long: The study doesn't specify the exact duration of the tissue exposure.
- What they took: The breast tissue samples were treated with licorice extract and liquiritigenin. The exact dosages were not specified in the abstract.
What This Means For You
This research suggests that licorice, specifically the liquiritigenin compound, might have potential for preventing breast cancer in high-risk women. However, this is early research. More studies are needed to see if licorice can actually prevent cancer in people and to determine the right dose. It's important to talk to your doctor before taking any supplements.
Study Limitations
- The study used breast tissue samples, not actual people.
- The study didn't look at whether licorice actually prevents cancer.
- The exact amount of licorice used in the study wasn't specified.
- Hops was tested but was not the main focus of the study.
Technical Analysis Details
Key Findings
The study identified Glycyrrhiza inflata (GI) licorice extract as the most potent aromatase inhibitor among tested botanicals, outperforming hops (Humulus lupulus) and other licorice species. Liquiritigenin—the primary phytoestrogen in licorice—demonstrated strong aromatase inhibition via computational docking and reduced aromatase expression in breast tissue of high-risk postmenopausal women. Despite in vitro estrogenic activity (preferentially via ER-β), liquiritigenin suppressed estradiol-induced uterine growth in vivo. It downregulated RNA translation, protein biosynthesis, and metabolic pathways in human breast tissue and reduced MCF-7 breast cancer cell proliferation with repeated dosing (p < 0.05). Hops extract showed weaker aromatase inhibition compared to GI.
Study Design
This was a multi-component study combining in vitro assays, computational modeling, and human tissue analysis. Aromatase inhibition was tested in cell-free and cellular systems. Human breast tissue samples from high-risk postmenopausal women were treated with extracts. In vivo uterine effects were assessed in rodent models. Sample size for human tissue analysis was not specified in the abstract; cell-based experiments used standard replicates (e.g., triplicates for MCF-7 proliferation assays). Duration of tissue exposure was not detailed.
Dosage & Administration
Exact doses for human tissue experiments were not provided in the abstract. In vitro studies used liquiritigenin at concentrations sufficient to achieve significant aromatase inhibition (IC₅₀ values implied but not quantified). Hops extract was tested comparatively but showed lower potency than GI. Administration routes for human tissue were ex vivo exposure; in vivo rodent studies used unspecified dosing.
Results & Efficacy
GI extract and liquiritigenin significantly suppressed aromatase expression in high-risk women’s breast tissue (p < 0.05). Liquiritigenin reduced MCF-7 cell proliferation rates with repeated dosing (statistical significance confirmed, p < 0.05). Computational docking confirmed strong binding affinity of liquiritigenin to aromatase’s active site. Hops extract exhibited detectable but inferior aromatase inhibition compared to GI. No quantitative effect sizes (e.g., percentage reduction) or confidence intervals were reported in the abstract.
Limitations
Human sample size and demographic details (e.g., age, BMI) were not disclosed. The study lacked clinical endpoints (e.g., cancer incidence), relying on biomarker and tissue-level effects. Dosage-response relationships for liquiritigenin in humans were undefined. Hops was only peripherally evaluated as a comparator, not a primary focus. No long-term safety data or direct comparison to standard anti-estrogen therapies (e.g., tamoxifen) was provided. Future research requires larger human trials with defined dosing and clinical outcomes.
Clinical Relevance
Liquiritigenin from licorice—not hops—emerges as a candidate for breast cancer chemoprevention in high-risk postmenopausal women, potentially avoiding adverse effects of conventional anti-estrogens. Its dual action (aromatase suppression + protein biosynthesis inhibition) and ER-β selectivity may offer tissue-specific benefits. However, this is preliminary mechanistic research; supplements containing liquiritigenin are not yet validated for clinical use. Users should not self-treat based on these findings, as optimal doses, safety profiles, and efficacy in humans remain unestablished. Hops’ role appears secondary in this context.
Original Study Reference
Breast cancer prevention with liquiritigenin from licorice through the inhibition of aromatase and protein biosynthesis in high-risk women's breast tissue.
Source: PubMed
Published: 2023-05-30
📄 Read Full Study (PMID: 37253812)
