Licorice Extract

Licorice Extract Properties
Licorice Extract Uses and Synthesis Methods
Side Effects
Licorice is probably safe when taken orally in large amounts for medicinal purposes and applied to the skin for short periods of time. However, it may be unsafe when taken orally in large amounts for more than 4 weeks or in smaller amounts for a long time. Eating licorice every day for several weeks or longer can cause serious side effects, including high blood pressure, low potassium levels, weakness, paralysis, and occasionally brain damage in healthy people. As little as 5 grams a day can cause these problems in people who consume large amounts of salt or have heart disease, kidney disease, or high blood pressure. Other side effects that may occur when using licorice extract include tiredness, lack of menstrual periods in women, headaches, water and sodium retention, and decreased sexual interest and function in men. People who smoke tobacco containing licorice may experience high blood pressure and other serious side effects. Long-term use of licorice mixtures can also cause muscle weakness, increased blood pressure, swelling, pain, etc. Long-term use by pregnant women can also cause bleeding and even premature birth.

Plant extract
Licorice extract is obtained by extracting the residue of dried roots and stems of Glycyrrhiza Linn. of Leguminosae (Glycyrrhiza Linn.) with water to extract licorice extract (licorice extract), and then extracting it with lukewarm methanol, ethanol, acetone or hexane. Its functional components are licorice flavonoids, licorice flavonoid A, licorice flavonol A, licorice coumarone, licorice isoflavone A, licorice isoflavone B, licorice isoflavanone, licorice chalcone A, licorice chalcone B. It has multiple effects such as anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, anti-tumor and promoting immunity. Licorice extract is an ideal antioxidant and preservative in the food industry. It can also be used as a food additive, seasoning, sweetener, tobacco, cigars, chocolate, beer, vanilla, liqueur and other flavors.

Figure 1 shows licorice root
Basic properties
Licorice extract is a brown or tan powder, basically tasteless, with a slight special smell of licorice. It is light-resistant, oxygen-resistant, and heat-resistant, and has a multiplying effect when used in combination with vitamin E and vitamin C. It can prevent the fading of carotene and has an inhibitory effect on the oxidation of tyrosine and polyphenols. It is insoluble in water and glycerin, soluble in ethanol, acetone, and chloroform, and its stability decreases when it is alkaline. This information is edited and compiled by Shi Yan of Chemicalbook

Chemical composition
From ancient times to the present, the research on licorice has been very in-depth. According to relevant data reports, more than 100 flavonoid compounds and more than 60 triterpenoid compounds have been isolated from licorice at home and abroad, such as glycyrrhizin, which is mainly the potassium and calcium salts of glycyrrhizic acid, which is the sweet component of licorice. It also contains coumarins, 18 amino acids, various alkaloids, estrogen and various organic acids.
Pharmacological activity
1. Antioxidant characteristics and mechanisms
Licorice extract has a significant antioxidant effect. Studies have found that the ethanol extract of licorice has a good scavenging effect on DPPH·, OH· and superoxide anion free radicals. The main component of licorice water extract is glycyrrhizic acid, which can scavenge superoxide anion free radicals and hydroxyl free radicals, inhibit lipid peroxidation, and has anti-aging effects. He Jianrong et al. found that glycyrrhetinic acid has a strong scavenging effect on OH· and superoxide anion free radicals, and the scavenging ability is significantly correlated with the concentration.
2. Effects on the respiratory system
Licorice and its extracts have antitussive, expectorant, antiasthmatic, lung protection and anti-respiratory pathogen effects. Glycyrrhizic acid, glycyrrhetinic acid and flavonoids of licorice are the active ingredients of licorice's pharmacological effects on the respiratory system.
3. Effects on the immune system
Licorice and its active ingredients can improve the phagocytic function of phagocytes, regulate the number and function of lymphocytes, inhibit the formation of IgE antibodies, and resist inflammatory mediators and pro-inflammatory cytokines. They have anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic pharmacological activities. Licorice flavonoids (isoliquiritigenin, isoliquiritigenin, licorice chalcone A, glabridin, glycyrrhizin, etc.), glycyrrhizin polysaccharides and glycyrrhizic acid are its anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic active ingredients.
4. Anti-radiation effect
Glycyrrhizin total extract has a significant protective effect on mice with different radiation doses after oral administration after irradiation at different doses.
5. Antispasmodic effect on gastrointestinal smooth muscle
Licorice decoction, licorice fluid extract, glycyrrhizin, isoliquiritigenin, etc. all have obvious antispasmodic effect on the body. At a concentration of 10-5, flavonoids such as FM100 and isoliquiritigenin have a certain degree of inhibitory effect on the isolated intestinal tube of animals, and can relieve intestinal spasms caused by acetylcholine, barium chloride, and histamine, while glycyrrhizin and glycyrrhetinic acid have no obvious inhibitory effect on smooth muscle.
6. Mineralocorticoid-like effect
Licorice extract, glycyrrhizin and glycyrrhetinic acid have the effect of promoting sodium and water retention in humans and animals. It has a good effect on mild Addison's disease, but it is ineffective even in large doses for severe Addison's disease that does not secrete corticosteroids. Therefore, licorice can only have a corticosteroid-like effect in the presence of aldosterone and hydrocortisone. Small doses of glycyrrhizin can cause thymus atrophy and adrenal weight increase in rats, producing a glucocorticoid cortisone-like effect. At high doses, the hormone-like effect is not obvious, and only the mineralocorticoid-like effect is shown.
7. Detoxification effect
Licorice extract and glycyrrhizin have certain detoxification ability for some drug poisoning, food poisoning, and poisoning by metabolites in the body. Glycyrrhizin is the effective ingredient for detoxification. The detoxification mechanism is that glycyrrhizin has a certain adsorption effect on poisons, and its hydrolysis product glucuronic acid can bind to poisons. At the same time, glycyrrhizin has an adrenal cortex hormone-like effect, and it enhances the detoxification ability of the liver. It is the result of the combined effect of various factors. The results of mouse experiments found that licorice extract and glycyrrhizin have a significant detoxification effect on strychnine, urethane and cocaine, benzene arsenic, mercuric chloride and other toxic substances; glycyrrhizin not only has a certain detoxification effect on pufferfish poison and snake venom, but also can relieve the lethal effects of diphtheria toxin and tetanus toxin.

application
Cosmetic additives. It can fight inflammation, prevent and treat chapped hands and feet and frostbite, and can be used in cosmetics such as creams and lotions. The soluble components of licorice in medium-polar solvents (ethyl acetate, chloroform, ether) have significant effects on hair nourishment and hair care.
In actual use, preheat the animal and vegetable oils to 80°C, add licorice antioxidants according to the usage amount, and heat while stirring until they are completely dissolved (generally all can be dissolved when it reaches 100°C), and the licorice antioxidants are ready. It can be used for fried and processed food.
Licorice has strong antioxidant activity against a variety of oils and fats. The addition of 0.02% licorice alcohol extract has better antioxidant properties than BHT at the maximum dosage limit.
The antioxidant activity of ethanol extract of licorice is higher than that of ethyl acetate extract. When the ethanol extract is added at 0.03%, it is comparable to the synthetic antioxidant BHT added at 0.02%. The two extracts have a good synergistic effect with other antioxidants such as PG and synergists such as cephalin, L-ascorbic acid, and citric acid. Both licorice extracts have a good synergistic effect with L-ascorbic acid.
Licorice extract is an ideal antioxidant and preservative in the food industry. It can also be used as a food additive, seasoning, sweetener, tobacco, and cigars. It is also used as the base material for the preparation of flavors such as chocolate, beer, vanilla, liqueur, etc. This product is non-toxic and is a traditional detoxifier and sweetener in my country.
1. Application of licorice and its extracts in grain and oil foods
Licorice is used in noodles, steamed buns, bread, cakes, biscuits, moon cakes and other foods. It has the functions of sweetening, foaming, flavoring, loosening and softening, and also has health care effects. Licorice antioxidant is widely used in oils and oil-containing foods as a natural antioxidant.
2. Application of licorice and extracts in beer beverages
Licorice extract has foaming properties and can be added to beer as a foaming agent to increase the foaming performance of the beer and make the aroma of the beer last longer. Glycyrrhizin, licorice flavonoids and licorice polysaccharides in licorice extract have many physiological activities and have certain health care functions. Glycyrrhizin can replace the sweetness of sucrose and reduce the sucrose content of food and production costs. Therefore, licorice extract is used in beverages has important utilization value.
3. Application of licorice and extracts in candy jelly
Licorice extract is mainly used in candy jelly for its cooling, moisturizing, and sweetening and flavoring effects.
4. Application of licorice and its extracts in preserved fruits
The application value of licorice and its extracts in preserved fruits lies in its aroma and taste and health care functions.
5. Application of licorice and extracts in meat and egg products
The application value of licorice and its extracts in meat and egg products lies in its antiseptic and health-care functions.
6. Application of licorice and extracts in other foods
Licorice and its extracts are also widely used in other foods, and many foods integrating nutrition, flavor and health care have been developed.