1. LIQUORI
CE
Glycyrrhiza glabra
Guided by – Prof. Dr. Babita More
Department of Pharmacognosy
Yadavrao Tasgaonkar Institute of
Pharmacy University of Mumbai
Prepared by – Rohan
Jagdale Final year
B.Pharm
3. Introductio
n
Common names: Liquorice, Sweet Wood, Regolizia (Italian),Mulethi (hindi),
Jeshtamadh, Yastimadhu. (marathi)
also known as Liquorice plant
Meaning: Glycyrrhiza – sweet root & glabra – smooth
Biological sources: It is obtained from the dried, unpeeled, roots and stolons
of
Glycyrrhiza glabra.
Family: Leguminosae
Part used: Roots & Stolons
Geographical Source: commercially cultivated in Spain, and England. Also
grown in
the sub-Himalayan tracts and Baluchistan.
Flowers: Purplish blue colour
For drug preparation: dried unpeeled roots & stolons are used
4. Saponin Glycosides
“ Sapo” is Latin name for a soap (soap-like)
Group of organic compounds that form when shaken with water even in
dilute
solution.
Saponins cause haemolysis of red blood cells.
According to the nature of the aglycone, saponins are classified into
Steroidal & Triterpenoidal saponins .
Triterpenoidal Saponins are very common in Dicot
plants It contains 30 carbon atoms
E.g. Liquorice root : glycyrrhizin
5. Difference between stolon &
rhizome
The key difference between rhizome and stolon is that rhizome is the root-like
main stem that grows underground while stolon is a stem sprouted from the
existing stem that runs horizontally just below the soil surface to form a new
plant and connect with the mother plant.
6. Collection & Cultivation
The plant requires a deep well cultivated fertile moisture- retentive soil for good
root production. Prefers a sandy soil with abundant moisture and does not
flourish in clay. Slightly alkaline conditions produce the best plants. It is
propagated using seeds and roots. The seeds are presoaked for 24 h in warm
water and then sown in spring or autumn in a greenhouse.
They are transplanted in late spring or early summer when in active growth.
Harvesting generally occurs in the autumn of the fourth year. Some are
peeled and cut up into short lengths before drying, but much is now used
unpeeled. The drug is imported in bales.
7. Extraction
Licorice (glycyrrhiza) root is the dried & ground rhizome & root portions of
Glycyrrhiza glabra or other species of Glycyrrhiza.
Licorice extract is that portion of the licorice root i.e, after maceration
(Softening by
soaking in a liquid), extracted by boiling water. The extract can be further
purified by
filtration and by treatment with acids and ethyl alcohol.
Licorice extract is sold as a liquid, paste (block), or spray-dried powder.
Licorice paste is preferred for flavoring purposes whereas the powdered
licorice is
used in confectioneries and pharmaceutical products.
Ammoniated glycyrrhizin is prepared from the water extract of licorice root
by acid precipitation followed by neutralization with dilute ammonia.
8. Active constituents
Main constituent - Glycyrrhizin: A triterpenoidal saponin glycoside.
Glycyrrhizin (5 – 12 % ), which is mixture of potassium and Calcium salts of
glycyrrhizinic Acid .
Glycyrrhizic acid causes sweetness in liquorice & is fifty times sweeter than sucrose.
Flavonoids (Liquiritin and isoliquiritin), which cause the yellow color of the drug.
Presence of flavonoid (liquiritin and isoliquiritin) cause antigastric effect and it is useful
in peptic ulcers.
Bitter principles (Glycyramarin), mainly in the outer tissues and are therefore absent in
the
peeled varieties.
Asparagine (2-4 %)
Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, and E.
Sugars (5-15%), starch, and proteins.
10. Morphology of Liquorice roots
Color : unpeeled – dark reddish-brown & peeled – yellow,
fibrous exterior
Taste : sweet
Size : 4 to 20 cm x 0.5 to 2 cm
Stolons are smaller in diameters than roots
Shape : cylindrical
Surface (Outer): Yellowish brown with longitudinal wrinkles
(unpeeled);
peeled ones are yellow coloured with fine longitudinal ridges. In
case of stolons, scars of the buds can be seen;
Fracture: Coarsely fibrous in the bark region and splintery in the
wood; fractured surface shows long fibres projecting outwards
Special features : scaly , purplish cork
longitudinal ridges (older pieces)
11. Transverse section
Histology: The
Rhizome (stolons):
The Cork: It forms a thick zone of several layers of flattened polygonal, thin-walled cells.
The Cortex (Phelloderm in root): It is a narrow zone composed of parenchyma cells
containing
isolated prisms of calcium oxalate and simple starch granules.
The Pericycle: Parenchymatous with small groups of lignified fibers.
The Phloem: It is a wide zone, traversed by numerous wavy, funnel-shaped medullary
rays. It consists of numerous groups of fibers, each surrounded by a sheath of
parenchyma cells, each containing a prism of calcium oxalate, and sieve tissue.
Phloem fibers are very long, with a very narrow lumen and strongly thickened walls .
The Xylem: It is radiate consisting of parenchyma, groups of fibers, tracheids and large
wide-lumen vessels, with numerous bordered pits and slit-shaped openings. Parenchyma
cells contain starch granules.
The Pith: Present only in the rhizome and is parenchymatous.
13. T.S of Liquorice root T.S of Liquorice stolon
Shows presence of polyhedral
tubular brownish cork cells.
Also shows presence of
polyhedral tubular brownish
cork.
Absence of pith, shows tetrarch xylem. Presence of pith.
Presence of medullary rays Absence of medullary rays
Presence of cortex Presence of cortex
• Unpeeled drug shows presence of polyhedral tubular brownish cork cells.
• Thick, lignified fibres in phloem and xylem.
• Calcium oxalate are present in parenchyma.
• In stolons , pith is present and it is parenchymatous.
• Root is characterized by presence of tetrarch xylem (four centripetally
developed xylem plates) and absence of pith
15. Chemical
identification
Mix a small amount of powdered Liquorice with 1 or 2 drops of
sulfuric acid
(66% v/v): an orange-red color is produced
Section of drug + 80% H2SO4 : Show Yellow Color
Histo-chemical evaluation : Stem powder of Glycyrrhiza glabratreated
with various reagents to detect the presence and absence of lignified
cells, tannin, starch, calcium oxalate crystals etc
Sr.No. Reagents Observations Characteristics
1 Phloroglucinol+Conc. Hcl Red Lignified cells
2 FeCl3 solution Dark blue to Black Tannin cells
3 Iodine solution Blue Starch
4 Phloroglucinol+Conc. Hcl Dissolved Calcium oxalate crystal
Histochemical evaluation of Glycyrrhiza glabra Linn.
stem
16. Powdered liquoric
Microscopical Identification:
Powdered Liquorice is characterized by its light yellow
color, faint characteristic odor and its sweet taste.
Microscopically, it is characterized by:
1 Cork in surface view (1).
2 Numerous fragments of fibers accompanied by crystal
sheath (10).
3 Fragments of large vessels with wide lumen, having
numerous, oval bordered pits (6, 7, 12).
4 Prisms of calcium oxalate (9, 10).
5 Numerous starch granules, mostly simple, free (3) or in
cells.
17. Powder
microscopy
Organoleptic characters :
Yellowish in colour, sweetish in taste,
sweet smell and fibrous in touch.
Microscopic characters :
Diagnostic microscopic characters shows
starch grain in groups, crystal fibers, cork in
surface view, rhomboidal crystals, lignified
fibers , simple starch grain,
tannin content and border pitted vessels.
18. Use
s Glycyrrhiza has demulcent (cough suppressant) and expectorant properties.
Glycyrrhizin is a natural sweetener that is extracted from licorice root. It does
,have
a zero glycemic index and is consequently suitable for diabetics.
It is used as a masking agent for bitter drugs in pharmaceutical
formulations, such as: quinine, aloe, ammonium chloride etc.
Ammoniated glycyrrhiza is employed as a flavouring agent in beverages,
pharmaceuticals and confectionary.
The inherent surfactant activity due to the presence of saponins helps to
facilitate the absorption of poorly absorbed drugs .
The presence of glycyrrhetinic acid exert mineralocorticoid activity and
hence it is
used in the treatment of inflamations, rhematoid arthritis and Addison’s
disease.
