Licoricidin (LCD) (0-20 μM; 24 hours) dose-dependently inhibits the viability of colon cancer cell lines with various pathological and genetic characters, namely SW480, HCT116, SW620 and LoVo cells, with IC ₅₀ values of 7.2, 5.4, 4.5 and 5.1 μM, respectively. Licoricidin (LCD) (0-20 μM; 0-12 hours) induces cell apoptosis was accompanied with the activation of caspase-3 by cleavage in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Licoricidin (LCD) (0-20 μM; 0-12 hours) induces autophagy of SW480 cells, increases the cleavage of LC3-I to LC3-II and the degradation of p62 in a time and dose dependent manner. Licoricidin (LCD) (0-5 μg/ml; 18 hours) inhibits cell migration, MMP-9 secretion, and VCAM expression in 4T1 cells.

Licoricidin (LCD) (intraperitoneal injection; 5, 10, or 20 mg/kg; once daily; 15 days) significantly inhibited the growth of SW480 xenografts in nude mice with an inhibitory rate of 43.5%. Licoricidin (LCD) (intraperitoneal injection; 5, 10, or 20 mg/kg; once daily; 32 days) reduces pulmonary metastasis and the expression of CD45, CD31, HIF-1α, iNOS, COX-2, and VEGF-A in tumor tissues, additionally, decreases protein expression of VEGF-R2, VEGF-C, VEGF-R3, and LYVE-1 in tumor tissues of licoricidin-treated mice.