Academic Sciences Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical

Research
Vol 6, Suppl 1, 2013 ISSN - 0974-2441

Review
Article

PHARMACOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES ON GLYCYRRHIZA GLABRA A

REVIEW
ROHIT KATARIA AND HEMRAJ*, GURPREET SINGH, AVNEET GUPTA, SUNNY
JALHAN,ANIL JINDAL
L. R. Institute of Pharmacy, Rajgarh Road, Solan - 173212, INDIA, Email:
shimla_pharmacy@rediff.com
Received: 15 November 2012, Revised and Accepted: 14 December 2012
ABSTRACT
Indisputably the third millennium is witnessing the worldwide changes in healthcare. Ayurvedic system of healthcare has
gained good popularity. Ayurveda is a profound and comprehensive system of health care that originated in India. This
system endeavors to rationalize the all phenomena governing empirical experiences with natural products in medicine.
Ayurvedic medicare system has attained popularity at global level to replace the synthetic chemicals as they have shown
less adverse reactions. Numbers of plants have been mentioned in classical text of Ayurveda for the management of several
diseases. Numbers of plants have been mentioned in classical text of Ayurveda for the management of several diseases. No
dought that several researcher had given their contributions for the renaissance of hidden therapeutic potential of number of
ayurvedic drugs, But still number of plants need a thorough work on them. Therefore the present study is focused on the
review on Glycyrrhiza glabra.
Keywords: Ayurvedic, Renaissance, Therapeutic potential,
Glycyrrhiza glabra

Taxonomy-Kingdom :Plantae
Division-Magnoliophyta

INTRODUCTION

Order-Fabales

The licorice shrub is a member of the pea family and

grows in subtropical climates in rich soil to a height of
four or five feet. It has oval leaflets, white to purplish
flower clusters, and flat pods. Below ground, the
licorice plant has an extensive root system with a main
taproot and numerous runners. The main taproot,
which is harvested for medicinal use, is soft, fibrous,
and has a bright yellow interior. Glycyrrhiza is derived
from the ancient Greek term glykos, meaning sweet,
and rhiza, meaning root 1. Glycyrrhiza glabra Linn (Fam.
Leguminosae) consists of dried, unpeeled, stolon and
root .The plant is a tall perennial herb, upto 2 m high
found cultivated in Europe. Persia, Afghanistan and to
little extent in some parts of India2 In India the plant is
cultivated in Punjab and sub Himalyan tract 3,4.The
plant is meant to hold glycyrrhizin, glycyrrhizic acid,
glycyrrhetinic acid, asparagine, sugars, resin and
starch as main constituents 2,5. G.glabra or liquorice
has been known in pharmacy for thousands of years.
In old Chinese pharmacy, it was considered to belong
to the drug of first class and to it was ascribed the
property of rejuvenating those who consume it for long
periods. It was used to allay thirst, feverishness, pain,
cough and distress of breathing. For

Family-Fabaceae
Genus-Glycyrrhiza
Species-glabra
Botanical name-Glycyrrhiza
glabra8

many centuries China has

used large quantities of
liquorice,
and,many
preparations of it are still in
Chinese apothecary shops.
Glycyrrhiza
plays
an
important parts in Hindu
medicine and is one of the
principle
drugs
of
the
susruta. In ancient Egypt,
Greece and
Rome Glycyrrhiza was also
frequently used. Liquorice is
reffered to by Theophrastus.
It is interesting to find that
even to this day liquorice is
maintaining its place in
medicine
and
pharmacy5.Licorice
continues to be used as a
pharmacological agent as
well as an ingredient in
tobacco and confectionery
throughout India in the East
and West. Studies over the
past 50 years have yielded
information
which
has
prompted new interest in
the pharmacological and
physiological effects of this
plant. This research has
revealed that the chemical
structure of one of the
principle agents in the root
of the licorice plant is a
glycoside of a triterpene
called glycyrrhetinic acid.
Originally its structure and
activity were thought to be
similar to adrenal steroid
hormones
such
as
aldosterone and cortisol,
since ingestion of licorice
mimicked
hyperaldosteronism and was
suggested as a treatment
for Addisons disease6,7 .

kataria R. et al
Asian J Pharm Clin Res, Vol 6, Suppl 1, 2013, 5-7
potassiumisoflavones
calciumglabridin
and
magnesium salts
hispaglabridins A
CHEMICAL
of
glycyrrhizic
and
B
have
CONSTITUENTS
acid that varies
significant
Active Constituents within
a
2-25
antioxidant
percent
range.
activity,and both
A
number
ofAmong
the
glabridin
and
components have beennatural saponins,
glabrene possess
isolated from licorice,glycyrrhizic acid
estrogen-like
including
a
water-is
a
molecule
activity.9-13
soluble,
biologicallycomposed of a
active
complex
thathydrophilic part,
accounts
for
40-50two molecules of
percent of total dry
material weight. Thisglucuronic acid,
a
complex composed ofand
triterpene
saponins,hydrophobic
fragment,
flavonoids,
glycyrrhetic
polysaccharides,
yellow
pectins, simple sugars,acid.The
amino acids, mineralcolor of licorice is
to
the
salts, and various otherdue
substances.Glycyrrhizin, flavonoid content
a
triterpenoidof
the
plant,
compound, accounts forwhich
includes
the sweet taste ofliquiritin,
licorice
root.
Thisisoliquiritin
(a
compound represents achalcone),
and
mixture of
other
compounds. The
H3C

H3 C
O
O

Liquirtigenin,

CH3

R= H

H3C

OH

HO

R=

CH
O3

H3 C

CHGlucosyl

CH3

HO
Glycyrrhizinic Acid

OH
Liquiriten

PHARMAC
OLOGICAL
ACTIVITIE
S

1.

Chroni
c
Hepatit
is14: In
Japan,
glycyrrh
izin has
been
used for
more
than 60
years as
a
treatme
nt
for
chronic
hepatiti
s
C.
Stronge
r NeoMinoph
agen C
(SNMC),
a
glycyrrh
izin
prepara
tion,
has
been
extensiv
ely used
with
conside
rable
success
. In two
clinical
trials,
SNMC
has
been
shown
to
significa

ntl
y
lo
we
r
as
pa
rta
te
tra
ns
a
mi
na
se
(A
ST
),
al
an
in
e
tra
ns
a
mi
na
se
(A
LT)
,
an
d
ga
m
m
ag
lut
a
m
ylt
ra
ns
fer
as
e
(G
GT
)
co
nc
en

tra
tio
ns
,
wh
ile
si
m
ult
an
eo
usl
y
a
m
eli
or
ati
ng
his
tol
og
ic
ev
id
en
ce
of
ne
cr
osi
s
an
d
in
fla
m
m
at
or
y
les
io
ns
in
th
e
liv
er(
15,

16)

.In recent2.
years,
several
studies
have been
performed
supporting
this
action(17,18
)
.Presently
,
interferon
(IFN)
therapy is
a
predomina
nt
treatment
for chronic
hepatitis.
Because
its efficacy
is limited,
an
alternative
treatment
is
desirable.
SNMC has
profound
effects on
the
suppressio
n of liver
inflammati
on and is
effective
in
improving
chronic
hepatitis
and liver
cirrhosis.
It
also
appears to
have
considera
bly fewer
side
effects
than IFN19.

A
nt
it
us
si
ve
an
d
A
nt
id
e
m
ul
ce
nt
ac
ti
vi
ty
20
:
Th
e
ex
tra
ct
of
th
e
po
wd
er
ed
dr
ug
in
wa
ter
wa
s
fo
un
d
to
be
eff
ec
tiv
e
in
th
e
tre
at
m
en
t
of
so
re
thr
oa

OH

t
co
ug
h
br
on
chi
al
ca
tar
r.
It
is
an
tit
us
siv
e
an
d
ex
pe
ct
or
an
t
lo
os
en
in
g
tra
ch
ea
l
m
uc
us
se
cr
eti
on
20
.
Th
e
de
m
ulc
en
t
ac
tio
n
is
att
rib
ut
ed
to
gl
yc
yrr

hizin.

3.

Peptic
Ulcer
Diseas
e21: the
peptic
ulcer
activity
was
reporte
d
in
system
atically
study
on
licorice
extract.
In
an
unblend
ed and

un
co
ntr
oll
ed
st
ud
y
45
pa
tie
nt
s
wit
h
co
nfi
rm
ed
ga
str
ic
ulc
er
s
we
re
ad
mi
nis
ter
ed
10
g/
da
y
of
po
wd
er
ed
lic
ori
ce
ex
tra
ct.
Th
e
ulc
er
s
we
re
re
po
rte
d
to
dis
ap
pe
ar
in
17
of
th
e
ca
se
s,
we
re
di
mi
nis
he
d
in

22
ca
se
s,
an
d
we
re
un
ch
an
ge
d
in
six
of
th
e
ca
se
s.
Pa
tie
nt
s
wit
h
du
od
en
al
ulc
er
s
di
d
no
t
re
ac
t
as
fa
vo
ra
bly
.
Ap
pr
oxi
m
at
ely
20
%
of
th 4.
e
pa
tie
nt
s
we
re
no
te
d
to
de
vel
op
ed
e
m
a,
so
m
e
wit
6

h
complicati
ons,
including
violent
headache,
dizziness,
upper
right
quadrant
pain,
compressi
on in the
chest, and
hypertensi
on.
A
reduction
of
the
dosage to
3
g/day
reduced
the
occurrenc
e
of
edema,
although
not in all
cases.
Crude
fractionati
on of the
licorice
extract
revealed
that
glycyrrhizi
n was the
probable
agent
responsibl
e for the
edematou
s
effect
and
an
unknown
componen
t
was
therefore 5.
considered
to be the
active
antiulcerogeni
c agent.
Biological
study
of
the effect
of licorice
roots
extract on
serum
lipid
profile,
liver
enzymes
and
kidney
function
tests
in
albino
mice was
studied22.
G. glabra
root
extract at
low dose
was
reported
to act as
anti-

lipi
da
e
mi
c
ag
en
t,
he
pa
to
pr
ot
ec
tiv
e
ac
tiv
ity
for
liv
er
cel
l,
pr
ev
en
ts
re
na
l
fai
lur
e
an
d
is
an
an
tihy
pe
rgl
yc
e
mi
c
ag
en
t.
Lic
ori
ce
as
a
tre
at
m
en
t
for
ca
nk
er
so
re
sIn
a
st
ud
y
G.
gl
ab
ra
ex
tra
ct

wa
s
ad
mi
nis
ter
ed
to
su
bj
ec
ts
in
th
e
for
m
of
a
m
ou
th
wa
sh,
15
of
20
pa
tie
nt
s
ha
d
50
75
%
pa
in
rel
ief
wit
hi
n
24
ho
ur
s
an
d
by
da
y
3
th
er
e
wa
s
co
m
pl
et
e
he
ali
ng
of
ulc
er
s23
.

kataria R. et al
Asian J Pharm Clin Res, Vol 6, Suppl 1, 2013, 5-7
hepatoprotect
research
suggests it
ive
25
could
responses .
increase the
6. Hepatoprotective
risk
of
Side Effects
and antioxidant
preterm
effects of licorice
and Cautions26
labor.
extract against CCL
1 In large
Oral Lichen
-induced oxidative
amounts,
Planus
damage in rats was
licorice
reported24.
containing
Patients
with
glycyrrhizin
chronic hepatitis
7. Biological study of
can
cause
C
often
the effect of licorice
high blood
experience
oral
roots
extract
on
pressure,
lichen planus, an
salt
and
serum lipid profile,
inflammatory
water
liver enzymes and
disease
retention,
kidney function tests
and
low
characterized by
in albino mice was
potassium
lymphocytic
examined.
This
levels,which
hyperkeratosis of
study was carried
could
lead
the oral mucosa.
out to elucidate the
to
heart
It is rarely cured
effects
of
oral
problems.
and
effective
administration
of
DGL
treatments
are
Glycyrrhiza
glabra
products are
limited.
In
an
root
extract
on
thought to
open clinical trial,
cause fewer
serum lipid profile,
17 hepatitis Cside effects.
liver
enzymes,
positive patients
kidney function test,
The
with oral lichen
and
glucose 2safety
of
planus
were
concentration
in
using
given
either
albino mice when
licorice as a
routine
dental
supplement
compared with ten
care or 40 mL IV
for
more
male mice used as
than 4 to 6
glycyrrhizin daily
control. G. glabra
weeks has
for one month.
root
extract
was
not
been
Among
nine
reported to act as an
thoroughly
patients
taking
anti-lipidaemic
studied.
glycyrrhizin,
six
agent,
as
(66.7%)
noted
3 Taking
hepatoprotective
licorice
improved clinical
activity for liver cell,
together
symptoms, such
prevents
renal
with
as
decreased
failure and as an
diuretics
redness,
fewer
anti-hyperglycemic
(water
pills),
white
papules,
agent22.
corticosteroi
and less erosion
ds, or other
of the mucosa. In
8. Risk and safety
medicines
the
nonthat reduce
assessment on the
glycyrrhizin
group
the
bodys
consumption
of
of eight patients,
potassium
Licorice
root
only one (14.3%)
levels could
(Glycyrrhiza sp.), its
cause
reported
any
extract and powder
dangerously
improvement.27
as a food ingredient,
low
CONCLUSION
with emphasis on
potassium
the
pharmacology
levels.
The
present
and toxicology of
study
was
glycyrrhizin
was 4 People
focused to bring
with
heart
reported.
the
disease
or
Biochemical studies
pharmacological
high blood
indicated
that
activities
of
pressure
glycyrrhizinates
Glycyrrhiza
should
be
inhibit
11glabra
in
the
cautious
hydroxysteroid
consideration of
about using
dehydrogenase, the
all
concern
licorice.
enzyme responsible
rersearchers. The
When taken
for
inactivating
study
would
in
large
further help for
amounts,
cortisol.
The
the renaissance
licorice can
continuous,
high
of
other
affect
the
level exposure to
pharmacological
bodys
glycyrrhizin
activities on the
levels of a
compounds
were
plant.
hormone
reported to produce
called
hypermineralocortic
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