[The molecular identification of Bupleurum medicinal species and the quality investigation of Bupleuri Radix].

Bupleuri Radix is one of the most frequently used herbal medicines in China with a 2 000-year medicinal history. However, the use of Bupleuri Radix is very confused. Twenty-five species and eight varieties of Bupleurum have been used as Bupleuri Radix in different regions of China.

The anti-inflammatory activity of licorice, a widely used Chinese herb.

Context: Increasing incidence and impact of inflammatory diseases have encouraged the search of new pharmacological strategies to face them. Licorice has been used to treat inflammatory diseases since ancient times in China.

Objective: To summarize the current knowledge on anti-inflammatory properties and mechanisms of compounds isolated from licorice, to introduce the traditional use, modern clinical trials and officially approved drugs, to evaluate the safety and to obtain new insights for further research of licorice.

The Pharmacological Activities of Licorice.

Licorice is one of the oldest and most frequently used herbs in traditional Chinese medicine. It contains more than 20 triterpenoids and 300 flavonoids. In recent years, a lot of studies have reported that the active compounds isolated from licorice possess antitumor, antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, immunoregulatory, and several other activities that contribute to the recovery and protection of the nervous, alimentary, respiratory, endocrine, and cardiovascular systems.