Evaluation of the safety and efficacy of Glycyrrhiza uralensis root extracts produced using artificial hydroponic and artificial hydroponic-field hybrid cultivation systems III: anti-allergic effects of hot water extracts on IgE-mediated immediate hypersensitivity in mice.

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of Glycyrrhiza uralensis root extracts produced using artificial hydroponic and artificial hydroponic-field hybrid cultivation systems, we investigated anti-allergic action in mice using IgE-mediated immediate hypersensitivity. Hot water extracts obtained from the roots of Glycyrrhiza uralensis cultivated using two systems were orally administered at a dose of 100 mg/kg as glycyrrhizin (GL) and compared with the commercial crude drug, Glycyrrhizae Radix. Both the artificial hydroponic and artificial hydroponic-field hybrid cultivated root extracts showed anti-allergic effects on IgE-mediated immediate hypersensitivity in mice, as did the commercial crude drugs. These results highlight the potential for artificially cultivated roots of Glycyrrhiza uralensis to be used as an alternative medicinal source.