Background/Objectives: The integration of natural compounds in cancer research marked a crucial shift in the modern medical landscape, through a growing acknowledgment of their potential as efficient, less toxic, and cost-effective alternatives to contemporary chemotherapeutics. Liquiritigenin (LIQ) is a compound obtained from different plants, the most important being theGlycyrrhizaspecies, commonly known as licorice. Methods: This review compiles findings from previously published preclinical studies and experimental research articles focusing on LIQ’s pharmacological effects, with particular attention to its anticancer potential. The relevant literature was identified using established scientific databases and selected based on relevance to cancer biology and LIQ-associated signaling pathways. Results: LIQ demonstrates anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-proliferative effects. It exerts its potential anticancer activities by inducing apoptosis, preventing cell proliferation, and modulating various signaling pathways such as nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), phosphoinositide 3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and so on. Conclusions: LIQ represents a promising natural agent for cancer therapy, with evidence supporting its multifunctional role in targeting tumor growth and survival mechanisms. By providing a detailed analysis of LIQ, this review aims to highlight its therapeutic efficacy across various cancer types and emphasize its importance as a promising compound in cancer research. In addition, this review seeks to bridge the gap between traditional medicine and modern pharmacology and paves the way for LIQ’s clinical application in cancer therapy.
背景/目的：天然化合物在癌症研究中的整合标志着现代医学领域的关键转变，这源于人们日益认识到其作为高效、低毒且经济有效的当代化疗替代品的潜力。甘草素（LIQ）是一种从多种植物中提取的化合物，其中最重要的是甘草属植物，俗称甘草。方法：本综述汇总了先前发表的临床前研究和实验研究文章的结果，重点关注LIQ的药理作用，特别是其抗癌潜力。相关文献通过已建立的科学数据库进行识别，并根据与癌症生物学和LIQ相关信号通路的相关性进行筛选。结果：LIQ表现出抗氧化、抗炎和抗增殖作用。它通过诱导细胞凋亡、抑制细胞增殖以及调节多种信号通路（如核因子κB（NF-κB）、磷脂酰肌醇3激酶（PI3K）/Akt/哺乳动物雷帕霉素靶蛋白（mTOR）、丝裂原活化蛋白激酶（MAPK）等）发挥其潜在的抗癌活性。结论：LIQ是一种有前景的癌症治疗天然药物，有证据支持其在靶向肿瘤生长和生存机制中的多功能作用。通过对LIQ的详细分析，本综述旨在强调其在多种癌症类型中的治疗功效，并强调其作为癌症研究中一种有前景的化合物的重要性。此外，本综述试图弥合传统医学与现代药理学之间的差距，并为LIQ在癌症治疗中的临床应用铺平道路。
Harnessing Liquiritigenin: A Flavonoid-Based Approach for the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer
肿瘤(癌症)患者之家