Antioxidant and Antiaging Effects of Licorice on the Caenorhabditis elegans Model

The causative relationship between oxidative stress and aging remains controversial, but it is a fact that many of the pathologies of age-related diseases are associated with oxidative stress. Phytochemicals may reduce damage from oxidative stress; the intake of these through diet could represent a strategy to lessen their pathological consequences. The popular and widely consumed licorice ( ) is a rich source of potential antioxidants. The aim of this study was to investigate whether licorice increases the oxidative stress resistance and lifespan of the animal model . Licorice roots ethanolic extract showed antioxidant activity, with an IC of 51.17 g/mL using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) as free radical. pretreated with licorice showed an increase of survival rate when exposed to the oxidant juglone, being this increase up to ∼33.56%. This pretreated population also showed an increase in lifespan of 14.28% at a concentration of 250 g/mL. In conclusion, we suggest that licorice has a high antioxidant capability both and and that this activity may explain the observed extension of lifespan.