SCREENING OF ANTICANCER ACTIVITY OF GLYCYRRHIZA GLABRA L. ROOT

Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (Fabaceae family) is rich in various biologically active components, however, the antitumor activity of G. glabra extracts and its components against glioblastoma has been poorly studied to date. Glycycoumarin, glycyrrhetinic acid, glycyrrhizin, licochalcones A and E, etc. are usually described as anticancer components of G. glabra. The aim of this work was to screen the antitumor activity of heteropolar extracts of G. glabra root against rat glioblastoma C6 cells; to determine the antitumor component of the most active extract. Eight G. glabra extracts were obtained using heteropolar extractants: hexane, ethyl acetate, acetone, methanol, ethanol, 70% acetone, 70% methanol, 70% ethanol, and water. The highest antitumor activity against C6 cells was demonstrated by the extract obtained with 70% ethanol (IC50 49.16 μg/ml), while it did not have high cytotoxicity against normal cells at low concentrations. This extract was distinguished by a high content of catechin and daidzein. The fraction obtained with a chloroform – methanol (8 : 2) solution showed the highest activity against rat glioblastoma C6 cells. Daidzein was isolated from this fraction in individual form. An MTT test study showed that daidzein is active against C6 tumor cells (IC50 68.29 μg/ml), but also has cytotoxicity against normal cells (IC50 68.93 μg/ml).