Liquorice

Liquorice or licorice is the common name of Glycyrrhiza glabra, a flowering plant of the bean family Fabaceae, from the root of which a sweet, aromatic flavouring can be extracted. The liquorice plant is a herbaceous perennial legume native to the Western Asia and southern Europe.

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2. SYNONYMS Mulethi Yastimadhu Liquorice root Glycyrrhiza radix

3. Biological Source I t is obtained from the dried, unpeeled roots and stolons of the plant Glycyrrhiza glabra . FAMILY - LEGUMINOSAE

4. Macroscopic characters Odour – Faint and characteristic. Colour – Yellowish brown Taste – Sweet Shape - Cylindrical Size – 20-40cm in length and 2cm in diameter

5. Microscopic Characters Periderm ( Phellem ) {cork}:- Tabular cells fitted with reddih brown contents. PHELLOGEN- Below cork paenchymatous cells with cellulose and Calcium Oxalate Secondary Phloem - Bundles of fibres surrounded by a parenchymatous sheath contaning Calcium Oxalate.

6. Medullary rays - multistearate and parenchymatous . Rays are narrow in xylem and wide in phoem . Secondary Xylem - Xlem consist of vessel, fibres , and lignified wood parenchyma. Starch is preent in wood parenchyma. Pith – Consist of large parenchyma with intercellular spaces and few starch grain. Pith is absent in root.

7. Collection and Cultivation India and China are the primary producers of liquorice. In India plant has been grown in Patiala, Hisar , Jhansi and Lucknow .

8. In India the plant is grown in he aresas with the subtropical climate nd receiving annual rainfall about 0cm or less. The plant is grown in the month of march i.e in Spring season and harvested and collected in the month of October i.e Autumn Season in the third or fourth year of cultivation. There are several variations and species of the liquorice root sold in World’s Market. Liquorice is to be grown around lakes and semi-irrigated fields.

9. PREPARATION Roots are usually harvested in month of October after 3 – 4 year of cultivation. The rootless and buds are removed manualy and drug is washed with water. Maximum sweetness of sap is excreted out. The drug is first dried under the sun and shade till it looses almost 50percent of its initila weight. The extract ad water is filtered, evaported and the concentration extract is molded eiher into sticks or other suitable form.

10. Chemical Constituents It consist of the Saponins and the Flavanoids . SAPONINS – Gkycyrrhetinic acid and Carbenoxolone . FLAVANOIDS – Isoquiritigen (R=H) and Isoquirtin (beta-D- glucopyranosyl ).

11. Substituents and Adulterants Mannchurian liquorice obtained from Glycyrrhiza uralensis . Russian liquorice as it contains purplish flowers appearance but have no stolons .

12. CHEMICAL TEST When sulphuric acid (80percent) is added to a thick section ofvthe drug or powder, it instantly produce a deep colour .

13. USES Glycyrrhiza has demulscent and expectorant properties. Liquid extract used in treatment of peptic ulcer. Added to beer to form stable and enhanced foaminens .

14. It is used as a masking agent for bitter drugs in pharamceutical formulation such as quinine, aloe, ammonium chloride etc. Ammoniated glycyrrhiza is employed as a flavouring agent in bevearges , pharmaceuticals and confectionary. The inherent surfactant activity due to the presence of aponins helps to facilitate the absorption of porly absorbed drug. Glycyrrhetic acid is employed in dermatological formulations for its remarkable anti-inflammatory properties.

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