New Research Shows Salicylic Acid Targets A Pathway To Cell Death In Parkinson's, And It's Better With Licorice!

Traditional Chinese licorice root.

April is Parkinson's Awareness month!  This post highlights some exciting new research in Parkinson's Disease (PD) at Cornell University. 

Researchers found that the main ingredient in aspirin may stop the process leading to cell death in PD.  The published paper can be found here.  The compound is called salicylic acid and is found naturally in many plants.  Scientists were studying its effect on cell death in plants when they noticed its similarities to a medication called selegiline, used to prolong the anti-parkinson activity of levodopa.

To understand its potential to treat PD, the researchers know they would need to study it in human cells.  They tested three forms of salicylic acid (plant-derived, synthetic, and a form from Chinese medicinal herb licorice) to see if it could prevent cell death in human cells.

Results:

• All forms of salicylic acid were able to stop a specific enzyme from damaging brain cells.
• The salicylic acid derived synthetically and from medicinal Chinese licorice were more effective than the plant-derived salicylic acid.

Discussion:
This research shows that salicylic acid may interact with an enzyme linked to PD to stop cell death in laboratory settings.  This opens the door to development of compounds that are similar to, but more effective than, aspirin.  Undoubtedly, more research is needed.  Note, although salicylic acid is a main component of aspirin, aspirin itself has not been shown to be beneficial in PD. 

In this study, a medicinal Chinese herb was as effective as a synthetic compound, and more effective than aspirin itself. Meanwhile, eating licorice for these therapeutic purposes is not recommended.  The licorice used in this study is a specific form derived from Chinese medicine.

About licorice root:
Licorice root, Radix Glycyrrhizae, is traditional Chinese herb that tonifies energy, especially in the digestive and respiratory systems.  In combination with other herbs, it releases cramps and alleviates pain, is used as a poison antidote, can lessen the harsh and toxic nature of other herbs, and enhances the overall effects of an herbal formula. 

Source: Parkinson Disease Foundation