2010-2011

A MONOGRAPH ON
WORLD WIDE TRADE OF
LIQUORICE ROOT
SUBMITTED TO- SUBMITTED BY-

MISS MALA MISHRA VIKASH MISHRA

(M.PHARM) (B.PHARM VIIth sem)

ROLL NO- 0714450051

s.no contents Page no.

1 Synonyms 1

2 Vernacular name 1

3 Biological source 2

4 Geographical source 2

5 Macroscopy 2

6 Microscopy 3

7 Phytoconstituents 4

8 Traditional use 5

9 Therapeutic use 6

10 Mode of action 7

11 Toxicity 7

12 World wide trade 8

13 Reference 8
LIQUORICE
Synonyms-
Liquiritia officinalis. Lycorys (thirteenth century). 
(Welsh) Lacris. 
(French) Reglisse. 
(German) Lacrisse. 
(Italian) Regolizia. 

Vernacular names-
Sanskrit: Yashti.madhuh. Madhuka

Bengali: Jashtimadhu, Jaishbomodhu

Gujarat: Jethimadhu

Hindi: Jothi.madh, Mulhatti

Kannada: Yastimadhuka, atimaddhura

Malayalam: Iratimadhuram

Marathi: Jeshtamadha

Oriya: Jatimadhu
Tamil: Atimaduram

Telugu: Atimadhuranu, Yashtimadhukam

English: Licorice, Liquorice, Sweet wood

Arab: Aslussiesa

Persia: Ausareha mahaka

France: Boisdoux

Germany: Sussholz

Biological source- liqorice consist of dried;peeled or unpeeled root and stolon of Glycyrrhiza
glabra Linn.

FAMILY-Leguminosae.

Geographical distribution
Native to central and south western Asia and the Mediterranean region. It is

cultivated in the Mediterranean is basin of Africa, in South Europe and in India

Macroscopic characteristics-

The plants are graceful, with light, spreading, pinnate foliage, presenting an almost feathery
appearance from a distance. The leaflets (like those of the False Acacia) hang down during the
night on each side of the midrib, though they do not meet beneath it. From the axils of the leaves
spring racemes or spikes of papilionaceous small pale-blue, violet, yellowish-white or purplish
flowers, followed by small pods somewhat resembling a partly-grown peapod in form. In the
type species glabra, the pods are smooth, hence the specific name; in others they are hairy or
spiny.

The underground system, as in so many Leguminosae, is double, the one part consisting of a
vertical or tap root, often with several branches penetrating to a depth of 3 or 4 feet, the other of
horizontal rhizomes, or stolons, thrown off from the root below the surface of the ground, which
attain a length of many feet. These runners are furnished with leafbuds and throw up stems in
their second year. The perennial downward-running roots as well as the long horizontal stolons
are equally preserved for use.

MICROSCOPIC CHARACTER-
The important microscopic character of liquorice are given bellow-

1-Unpeeled drug shows the presence of polyhedral tubular brownish cork cells.

2-Fibre are thick,lignified or partially lignified,in the group of 10 to 15 inphloem and

xylem.vessel are large and closely arranged with borded pits.starch and calcium oxalate crystals
are present in parenchyma.

3-The root is charecterised by the presence of Tetrach xylem and absence of pith.
Phytoconstituents-

The chief constituent of Liquorice root, to which its sweet taste is due, is Glycyrrhizin (6 to 8 per
cent), obtainable in the form of a sweet, white crystalline powder, consisting of the calcium and
potassium salts of glycyrrhizic acid. The drug also contains sugar, starch (29 per cent), gum,
protein, fat (0.8 per cent), resin, asparagin (2 to 4 per cent), a trace of tannin in the outer bark of
the root, yellow colouring matter, and 0.03 of volatile oil.
The amount of Glycyrrhizin present in Extract of Liquorice varies from 5 to 24 per cent, and the
amount of moisture from 8 to 17 per cent. Upon ignition, the extract yields from 5 to 9 per cent
of ash.

The roots of G. glandulifera and echinata also contain in addition, Glycyrmarin, a bitter

principle occurring mostly in the bark.

Glycyrrhizin, or a similar substance, has been obtained from other plants, viz. from the rhizome
of Polypodium vulgare, the leaves of Myrrhis odorata, and the bark of Lucuma glycyphloea.

Traditional uses

• A decoction of madhuka or its powder was prescribed with honey in

anemia.
• Yashti mixed with cow’s milk was prescribed for promoting lactation.

• 10g madhuka powder mixed with 10g sugar, pounded with rice water was

prescribed in men.metrorrhagia.

• A confection of rice.milk, prepared with yashtimadhu, was prescribed in

hoarseness of voice.

• Charaka prescribed 10g madhuka powder mixed with honey, followed by

intake of milk, as an aphrodisiac and as an intellect.promoting tonic.

• Charaka also percribed a paste of liquorice and picrorrhiza kurroa with

sugar.water as a cardiac tonic

• Charaka datta prescribed yashtimadhu and santalum album, powdered

with milk, in haematemisis.

• Sushruta prescribed the paste of yashtimadhu 10g, in intrinsic

haemorrhage.

• In oedema, the paste of licorice, sesamum indicum and milk mixed with

butter was prescribed.

• Warm clarified butter mixed with licorice, was applied topically on

wounds, bruises and burns.

• A decoction of madhuka was applied on erysipelas.

• Yashti is an important ingredient in Narikelanjana (IMCOPS) eye.drops,

prescribed in both acute and chronic conjunctivitis, and also in blepharitis.

• A decoction of the root is a good wash for falling and greying of hair.

Therapeutic Uses-
  Liquorice is widely used in curing peptic ulcers. A particular form of the species, called
DGL, is preferred for treating ulcers, as this form removes the glycyrrhizin from it.
However, the presence of this compound may cause high blood pressure in some
individuals.
 The plant species has dermatological uses as well. Similar to hydrocortisone, it helps to
fight eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis. It also hastens the healing process of cold sores
and reduces the pain associated with them.
 Severe respiratory conditions, like asthma, sore throats, coughing and bronchitis, can be
treated using liquorice.
 The herb helps to maintain a balance in the estrogen levels in the body, as high levels of
this hormone can cause menstrual problems.
 Proper support to the adrenal glands is provided by liquorice, which is very essential to
overcome the effects of stress and fatigue. The compound glycyrrhizic present in the
plant species helps to block the breakdown of cortisol in the body. This helps to fight
stress and combat the effects of chronic fatigue syndrome.
 The herb is also used to treat hepatitis, in both chronic and acute stage and is particularly
beneficial in the treatment of hepatitis B and C patients.
 Recent research and studies have indicated that it can slow down the progression of HIV
to AIDS, by triggering the chemical compound interferon aka the body’s virus fighting
agent.
 Liquorice proves to be useful in irritable conditions of mucous membrane of the urinary
organs.
 It has proved beneficial in treating sore throat, cough and anorexia and persistent low
fever.

Mode of action-Licorice contains the glycoside, glycyrrhizin which has a similar structure
and activity as the adrenal steroids. Licorice has an anti-inflammatory activity similar to
cortisone and has been found useful for arthritis and allergies. In addition licorice has been used
for mild Addison’s disease and other adrenal insufficiencies, such as hypoglycemia. Licorice
also acts like the hormone, ACTH, causing sodium retention, potassium depletion, and water
retention.
Excess consumption of licorice can lead to the classic symptoms of hypertension, with edema,
increased blood pressure, potassium loss, and muscular weakness. The Deglycyrrhizinated form
is most often used to avoid the hypertensive side effects of the glycyrrhetinic acid in whole
Licorice. Licorice and DGL have a mild laxative effect and can protect the intestinal lining by
increasing the production of mucus, thus alleviating heartburn and ulcers. Licorice and DGL also
have a demulcent action and have been used for coughs and other bronchial complaints.

Toxicity
Ethanol (30%) extract of the root, administered orally to mice of both sexes,

produced LD50 32.0ml/kg. Water extract of the dried root (48.58% glycyrrhizin),

administered intra peritoneally, orally and subcutaneously to mice and rats, produced

LD50 1.5gm/kg, 16.0gm/kg, and 4.2gm/kg, respectively.

WORLD WIDE TRADE-

According to evaluation in 2000-01 India export Liquorice root 54.9 tonnes per annum
which market value is 70.53 lakh Rs.

Reference:

1. Materia Medica, vol I, 3

rd

edition, A.K. Nadkarni, Popular prakashan pvt. Ltd.

Bombay.

2. Encyclopedia of Indian medicinal plants, 1st edition, C.P. Khare, Springer.verlag

Berlin Heidelberg New York.

3. The Wealth of India, Raw materials, IV F.G, 1

st

edition, Council of Scientific and

Industrial Research. New Delhi.

4. Text book of Natural medicine, vol.I, Joseph E. Pizzorno Jr, Michael T.Murray.

Harcourt publisher ltd, Edinburg.

5. WHO monograph on selected medicinal plants, vol.I, Aitbs publishers, India.

6. Indian Herbal Pharmacopoeia, vol.I, 1998, Regional research laboratory & Indian

drug manufacture association, Mumbai.

7. Medicinal plants of the world, vol2, Ivan A. Ross, Human press Inc. Totowa, New

Jersey.

8. Pharmaco dynamic basis of herbal medicine, Manuchair Ebadi, CRC press, USA.

9. Status Reports on medicinal plants, For NAM countries Dec1992, Dr. Akhtar

Husain, Publications and Information Directorate, New Delhi.

10. The useful plants of India, National Institute of science communication, CSIR, 4th

reprint 2000, Shri. S.P, Ambasta, New Delhi.

11. Indian medicinal plants, A compendium of 500 species, vol.3, Orient Longman P.Ltd,

reprint 2002, P.K.Warrier, V.P.C. Nambiar, C.Ramankutty, Chennai.2