Medicinal Uses of Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.): A Comprehensive Review

Sana Noreen; Fizza Mubarik; Fatima Farooq; Mudassir Khan; Ahasan Ullah Khan; Yunita Sari Pane

doi:10.3889/oamjms.2021.7526

Authors

Sana Noreen University Institute of Diet and Nutritional Sciences, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4040-5454
Fizza Mubarik University Institute of Diet and Nutritional Sciences, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Fatima Farooq University Institute of Diet and Nutritional Sciences
Mudassir Khan Department of Healthcare Biotechnology, Atta-Ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Science and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
Ahasan Ullah Khan Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet, Bangladesh; Department of Agroforestry and Environmental Science, Climate-Smart Agriculture Lab, Faculty of Agriculture, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet, Bangladesh
Yunita Sari Pane Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5638-4734

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3889/oamjms.2021.7526

Keywords:

Licorice, Traditional medicine, Glycyrrhizin, Biological activity, Herbal

Abstract

Innumerable plants have been used widely as integral medicinal sources since the start of human civilization. The demand for herbal medicines is constantly increasing with time overtime. Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra family Leguminosae) is one of the most used herbal plants in foods, in medicinal forms, and substantially researched on a worldwide scale. It was used as traditional and complementary medicine against innumerable ailments including allergies, liver toxicity, gastric ulcer, lung diseases, skin disorders, oral health problems including tooth decay, and inflammation. The constituents of licorice include various essential oils, sugars, inorganic salts, resins, amino acids, and nucleic acids. Biological activity has been observed to be portrayed by active compounds of licorice including triterpene, flavonoids, and saponins. In recent years, licorice has been widely researched to discover its benefits, constituents, and its mechanism of action. The review summarizes the therapeutic and pharmacological benefits of licorice and its uses in different health-related conditions along with its toxicity and maximum levels of licorice consumption.

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