Isoflavonoids and coumarins from Glycyrrhiza uralensis: antibacterial activity against oral pathogens and conversion of isoflavans into isoflavan-quinones during purification.

Phytochemical investigation of a supercritical fluid extract of Glycyrrhiza uralensis has led to the isolation of 20 known isoflavonoids and coumarins, and glycycarpan (7), a new pterocarpan. The presence of two isoflavan-quinones, licoriquinone A (8) and licoriquinone B (9), in a fraction subjected to gel filtration on Sephadex LH-20 is due to suspected metal-catalyzed oxidative degradation of licoricidin (1) and licorisoflavan A (2). The major compounds in the extract, as well as 8, were evaluated for their ability to inhibit the growth of several major oral pathogens. Compounds 1 and 2 showed the most potent antibacterial activities, causing a marked growth inhibition of the cariogenic species Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus at 10 mu g/mL and the periodontopathogenic species Porphyromonas gingivalis (at 5 mu g/mL) and Prevotella intermedia (at 5 mu g/mL for 1 and 2.5 mu g/mL for 2). Only 1 moderately inhibited growth of Fusobacterium nucleatum at the highest concentration tested (10 mu g/mL).