Utilization of Licorice - Mulethi (glycyrrhiza glabra l.) As Natural Medical Herb

Licorice commonly known as Y ashthimadhu in Ayurveda is one such plant. Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) symbolises all that is wondrous in nature because, the it is used as traditional medicine for household remedy against various human ailments from antiquity. Licorice is a very well-known herb in Chinese medicine. In China, it is called “gancao” means sweet grass and has been recorded in the Shennong's classic of Materia Medica around 2100 BC. which says that licorice was supposed to have life-enhancing properties. It was used to have the functions of nourishing, alleviating pain, eliminating phlegm, and relieving coughing. The canvas of the pharmacological activities when complied it stands out strongly as a drug of choice in various disorders. Licorice contains more than 20 triterpenoids and nearly 300 flavonoids. Among them, glycyrrhizin (GL), 18-beta-glycyrrhetinic (GA), liquiritigenin (L TG), licochalcone A (LCA, licochalcone E (LCE) and glabridin (GLD) are main active components which possess antimicrobial and anti viral activities. Antibacterial activity of glycyrrhiza glabra on oral pathogens showed that glycyrrhiza glabra extract showed good antibacterial activity against six bacterias includingStreptococcus mutans, Actinomyces viscous, E coli, Streptococcus aureus and Streptococcus sanguis. Twice daily use of herbal liquorice lollipop significantly reduced, the number and relative percentage of S mutans in high-risk children for 22 days which then stabilized and begin to rebound. An unusual biflavonoid named licoagrodin was isolated from the hairy root cultures of G. glabra along with three prenylatedretrochalcones, licoagrochalcones B, C, D, a prenylatedaurone, licoagroaurone and four known prenylated flavonoids, licochalcone C, kanzonol Y, glyinflanin B and glycyrdione A. From the glycosidic fraction, aisoflavone glycoside, licoagroside A, and a maltol glycoside, licoagroside B were isolated together with four known isoflavone glycosides, two flavone C-glycosides, and three other glycosides. The isoflavonesglabridin and hispaglabridins A and B had antioxidant activity and both glabridin and glabrene possessed estrogen like activity. In traditional Chinese medicine, the plant is recommended as a common remedy for gastrointestinal problems, cough, bronchitis, and arthritis. In particular, it is still widely used to treat gastritis, peptic ulcers, respiratory infections, and tremors in folk medicine. Commonly, G. glabra root is employed to prepare a tea that is an excellent thirst quencher. The dried root has been described as a tooth cleanser. Actually, the most important industrial use of G. glabra is the production of food additives, such as flavours and sweetening agents. In particular, the root is used as a flavouring agent for American‐type tobacco, chewing gum, candies, baked goods, ice cream, and soft drinks. Nutritionally, liquorice is a source of proteins, amino acids, polysaccharides and simple sugars, mineral salts (such as calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, iron, magnesium, silicon, selenium, manganese, zinc, and copper), pectins, resins, starches, sterols, and gums. Oestrogens, tannins, phytosterols (sitosterol and stigmasterol), coumarins, vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, E, and C), and glycosides have been reported. A large number of biological compounds have also been isolated, mostly triterpenes, saponins (responsible for the sweet taste), and flavonoids. The main constituent of roots is glycyrrhizin, a triterpenoid sapo-nin that is almost 50 times sweeter than sucrose, being the primary active ingredient. Glycyrrhizin represents about 10% of the liquorice root dry weight, being a mixture of potassium, calcium, and magnesium salts of glycyrrhizic acid that varies between 2% and 25%. After oral administration, glycyrrhizin is metabolized to 18‐glycyrrhetic acid 3‐ omonoglucuronide and glycyrrhetic acid by intestinal bacteria. Liquiritin apioside, an active compound reported in the methanolic extract of liquorice, has the ability to inhibit capsaicin, a compound that induces cough. The effect on sore throat has been compared with that of carbenoxolone, a glycyrrhetinic acid derivative with a steroid‐like structure, which stimulates gastric mucus secretion.