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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Nutr.

Sec. Nutrition and Metabolism

Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1702655

Effects of a Traditionally Prepared Glycyrrhiza glabra Root-Based Beverage on Female Reproductive Function in Rats

Provisionally accepted
Merve  KocaoğluMerve Kocaoğlu1Hacer Sinem  BüyüknacarHacer Sinem Büyüknacar1*Aslı  CevherAslı Cevher1Gülçin  DağlıoğluGülçin Dağlıoğlu2Emine  Kilic BagirEmine Kilic Bagir3Fatma  Peyman ErtuğFatma Peyman Ertuğ4Olcay  KıroğluOlcay Kıroğlu4Cemil  GöçmenCemil Göçmen4
  • 1Cukurova University Faculty of Pharmacy Department of Pharmacology, Adana, Türkiye
  • 2Department of Biochemistry, Cukurova University, Faculty of Medicine, Adana, Türkiye
  • 3Cukurova University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Patology, Adana, Türkiye
  • 4Cukurova University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Pharmacology, Adana, Türkiye

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice) is widely known for its traditional medicinal uses, including in the form of root-based beverages prepared and consumed in various regions. In Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia, such beverages are commonly consumed as part of daily dietary practices. Despite the widespread use of licorice root, data on the physiological effects of traditionally prepared licorice beverages on the female reproductive system are limited. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of substituting drinking water with a traditionally prepared G. glabra root-based beverage (30 mg/ml/day) for seven days on female reproductive function in rats. Thirty-two adult female Wistar rats were divided into two main groups: Control and G. glabra; (licorice). Each group was further subdivided based on the estrous cycle into proestrus/estrus (P/E) and diestrus/metestrus (D/M) phases. Animals were housed in metabolic cages, and the experimental group received freshly prepared root-based licorice beverage instead of drinking water for seven days. Vaginal smears were used to determine cycle phases. Serum levels of LH, FSH, and estrogen were measured using ELISA. Isolated uterus experiments were conducted to assess spontaneous and oxytocin-induced contractility (1000 mU/mL). Histopathological evaluations were performed on ovarian, liver, and kidney tissues. Compared to controls, the G. glabra group showed a significant increase (p < 0.05) in LH and FSH levels, while estrogen levels remained unchanged. Both spontaneous and oxytocin-induced uterine contractions exhibited significantly reduced amplitude and area under the curve (AUC) in the licorice group. Histological analysis revealed a decrease in the number of corpus luteum during the P/E phase, and an increase in primary and antral follicles during the D/M phase. No significant histopathological alterations were observed in the liver or kidney tissues. These findings suggest that traditional Glycyrrhiza glabra root-based beverages may influence female reproductive function in an estrous cycle-dependent manner, potentially affecting both hormonal regulation and uterine contractility.

Keywords: Glycyrrhiza glabra, FSH, LH, estrogen, Uterine contractility, female reproductive function, Estrous Cycle

Received: 10 Sep 2025; Accepted: 09 Oct 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Kocaoğlu, Büyüknacar, Cevher, Dağlıoğlu, Kilic Bagir, Ertuğ, Kıroğlu and Göçmen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Hacer Sinem Büyüknacar, hsgokturk@gmail.com

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