Deciphering the Anti-Listerial Activity and Phytochemical Composition of Licorice Root Extract Using LC-MS/MS in Combination with In Vitro and Computational Evaluations
Licorice roots are a rich source of bioactive compounds with multiple biological activities. The objective of this study was to evaluate the inhibitory effects of licorice root extract against a range of <i>Listeria</i> strains. In addition, the correlation of its phytochemical compositi...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-05-01
|
| Series: | Applied Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/10/5276 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | Licorice roots are a rich source of bioactive compounds with multiple biological activities. The objective of this study was to evaluate the inhibitory effects of licorice root extract against a range of <i>Listeria</i> strains. In addition, the correlation of its phytochemical composition with antimicrobial properties was also investigated. Thus, the bacteriostatic and bactericidal effects of licorice root extract on seven <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> strains, <i>L. grayi</i>, <i>L. seeligeri</i>, and <i>L. ivanovii</i> were determined. The minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations ranged from 31.3 to 62.5 µg mL<sup>−1</sup> and from 62.5 to 250 µg mL<sup>−1</sup>, respectively. The phytochemical composition of the extract was also analyzed using advanced LC-DAD- qTOF-MS; it is composed of fifty-one compounds belonging to different subgroups of flavonoids and triterpenoids. Subsequently, the anti-Listeria potency of the most abundant phytochemicals was determined using the AntiBac-Pred web tool. In silico calculation showed that liquiritin-apioside and licorice glycoside C1/C2 were strong growth inhibitors of <i>L. monocytogenes</i>, as their potency was comparable to well-known antibiotic substances. Overall, the present study demonstrates the potent antimicrobial effect of licorice root extract and reveals its active phytochemicals. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2076-3417 |