A comparative study of biochemical, antimicrobial effects and phytochemical composition analysis of Glycyrrhiza glabra L. varieties root extracts

Year 2025, Volume: 29 Issue: 6, 2361 - 2372, 02.11.2025

Gizem Gülmez , Ali Şen , Hüseyin Servi , Timur Hakan Barak , Fethullah Tekin , Mahdi Marzi , Azize Şener

https://doi.org/10.12991/jrespharm.1797864

Abstract

Plants are the significant global interest as alternative treatment sources with their biologically active compounds. This study compares the chemical composition and the antioxidant, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial properties of ethanol extracts of G. glabra L. two different varieties from different regions. The phytochemical compositions was determined using GC-MS. Additionaly, total phenolic (TPC), flavonoid (TFC) and triterpene (TTC) contents were determined. Glycyrrhizic acid contents were analysed by HPLC. G. glabra var. glandulifera (GF1) showed the highest antioxidant activity. All extracts had strong antidiabetic effects, besides GF1 showing the highest effect. The MIC values was determined against 8 bacterial and 1 yeast strain and values ranged from 2.500 to 0.500; 2.500 to 0.714; 2.500 to 0.714 for G. glabra var. glabra (GB), GF1, G. glabra var. glandulifera (GF2) respectively. Phytochemical studies have shown that TPC was 100.60±5.06, 127.90±0.30, 69.01±0.30 mg GAE /g extract; TFC was 80.07±0.15, 25.35±0.0, 16.58±0.31 mg KE/g and TTC was 217.30±6.05,172.40±2.17, 126.30±4.50 mg OE/g extract for GB, GF1, GF2, respectively. GF1 in particular has the highest glycyrrhizic acid content. This study will contribute to the creation of new treatment strategies and potential therapeutic agents in addition to the use of G. glabra L. in traditional treatments. Our study is also a preliminary study for future studies.

Keywords

Glycyrrhiza glabra L , licorice root , antioxidant activity , antidiabetic activity , antibacterial activity , phytochemical content

References

• 1.Yang R, Yuan BC, Ma YS, Zhou S, Liu Y. The anti-inflammatory activity of licorice, a widely used Chinese herb. Pharm Biol. 2017; 55, 5–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/13880209.2016.1225775
• 2.Han JB, Wu Y, Wang S, Yi L, Qiu R, Zhou H, Wan X, Xu XZ, Zhou HL, Wu Y, Hu YL. Chemical constituents and chemotaxonomic study of Glycyrrhiza glabra L. Biochem Syst Ecol. 2020; 92, 104130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bse.2020.104130
• 3.Çevik D, Yılmazgöz ŞB, Kan Y, Akhan Güzelcan, E, Durmaz I, Çetin-Atalay R, Kırmızıbekmez H. Bioactivity-guided isolation of cytotoxic secondary metabolites from the roots of Glycyrrhiza glabra and elucidation of their mechanisms of action. Ind Crop Prod. 2018; 124, 389–396. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2018.08.014
• 4.Gaber EB, Amany MB, Amany E, Mohamed MA, Hari PD. Traditional Uses, Bioactive Chemical Constituents, and Pharmacological and Toxico Biomolecules. 2020; 10, 352. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom10030352
• 5.Durmaz H, Hülül M, Çelik H. Meyan (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) Bitkisinin Antibakteriyel ve Antioksidan Aktiviteleri. Harran Üniv Vet Fak Derg. 2018; 37 - 41, 18.12.2018. https://doi.org/10.31196/huvfd.501426
• 6.Van Marle J, Aarsen PN, Lind A. Deglycyrrhizinised liquorice (DGL) and the renewal of rat stomach epithelium. Eur J Pharmacol. 1981; 72219-225. https://doi.org/10.1016/0014-2999(81)90276-4
• 7.Shiva N, Alireza N, Reza B, Fatemeh K. The Anticancer Effect of Arctium lappa and Glycyrrhiza glabra on HT-29 Colon Cancer and MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cell Lines. Crescent J Med Bioll Sci. 2018; 5;2: 133-137. Corpus ID: 203630787
• 8.Damle M. Glycyrrhiza glabra (Liquorice)—A potent medicinal herb. Inter J Herb Med. 2014; 132–136.
• 9.Wang Z, Nixon D. Licorice and Cancer. Nutr Cancer. 2001; 39(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327914nc391_1
• 10.Wang K, Yu Y, Chen H, Chiang Y, Ali M, Shieh T, Hsia S. Recent Advances in Glycyrrhiza glabra (Licorice)-Containing Herbs Alleviating Radiotherapy- and Chemotherapy-Induced Adverse Reactions in Cancer Treatment. Metabolites. 2022; 12, 535. https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo12060535
• 11.Li W, Asada Y, Yoshikawa T. Flavonoid constituents from Glycyrrhiza glabra hairy root cultures. Phytochemistry. 2000; 55(5):447-456. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0031-9422(00)00337-x
• 12.Cho S, Park J, Pae AN, Han D, Kim D, Cho N, No KT, Yang H, Yoon M, Lee C, Shimizu, M, Baek N. Hypnotic effects and GABAergic mechanism of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) ethanol extract and its major flavonoid constituent glabrol. Bioorg Med Chem. 2012; 20, 3493–3501. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bmc.2012.04.011
• 13.Song W, Qiao X, Chen K, Wang Y, Ji S, Feng J, L K, Lin Y, Ye M. Biosynthesis-Based Quantitative Analysis of 151 Secondary Metabolites of Licorice to Differentiate Medicinal Glycyrrhiza Species and Their Hybrids. Anal Chem. 2017; 89, 3146–3153. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.6b04919
• 14.Pastorino G, Cornara L, Soares S, Rodrigues F, Oliveira MBPP. Liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra): A phytochemical and pharmacological review. Wiley. 2018; 32, 2323–2339. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.6178
• 15.Zhu Z, Tao W, Li J, Guo S, Qian D, Shang E, Su S, Duan JA. Rapid determination of flavonoids in licorice and comparison of three licorice species. J Sep Sci. 2016; 39, 473–482. https://doi.org/10.1002/jssc.201500685
• 16. Sharma V, Katiyar A, Agrawal RC. Glycyrrhiza glabra: Chemistry and Pharmacological Activity. Sweeteners. 2017; 31:87–100. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-27027-2_21
• 17.Batiha GE, Beshbishy AM, El-Mleeh A, Abdel-Daim MM, Devkota HP. Traditional Uses, Bioactive Chemical Constituents, and Pharmacological and Toxicological Activities of Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (Fabaceae). Biomolecules. 2020;10, 352. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom10030352
• 18.Çınar İ. Sıcaklık ve sürenin meyan kökü (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) ekstraksiyonuna etkisi ve ekstraksiyon kinetiğinin modellenmesi. GTED. 2012;7(2), 22-28.
• 19.Cinat J, Morgenstern B, Bauer G. Glycyrrhizin, an active component of liquorice roots, and replication of SARS-associated coronavirus, Lancet. 2003; 361(9374), 2045-2046. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(03)13615-x
• 20.Chen HY, Chiang YF, Huang JS, Huang TC, Shih YH, Wang KL, Ali M, Hong YH, Shieh TM, Hsia SM. Isoliquiritigenin Reverses Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Through Modulation of the TGF-beta/Smad Signaling Pathway in Endometrial Cancer. Cancers. 2021; 13:1236. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers13061236
• 21.Zhao TT, Xu YQ, Hu HM, Gong HB, Zhu HL. Isoliquiritigenin (ISL) and its Formulations: Potential Antitumor Agents Curr Med Chem. 2019; 26:6786–6796. https://doi.org/10.2174/0929867325666181112091700
• 22.Yager JD. Endogenous Estrogens as Carcinogens Through Metabolic Activation. Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute, 2000. chapt 3, pp 67–73. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.jncimonographs.a024245
• 23.Gülmez G, Şen A, Şekerler T, Algül FK, Çilingir-Kaya ÖT, Şener A. The antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiplatelet effects of Ribes rubrum L. fruit extract in the diabetic rats. J Food Biochem. 2022.; 46(7):e14124. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfbc.14124
• 24.Visavadiya NP, Soni B, Dalwadi N. Evaluation of antioxidant and anti-atherogenic properties of Glycyrrhiza glabra root using in vitro models. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2009; (60) 2:135-49. https://doi.org/10.1080/09637480902877998
• 25.Hamad GM, Elaziz AIA, Hassan SA, Shalaby MA, Mohdaly AAAA. Chemical Composition, Antioxidant, Antimicrobial and Anticancer Activities of Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) Root and Its Application in Functional Yoghurt. JFNR. 2020; 8(12), 707-715. https://doi.org/10.12691/jfnr-8-12-3
• 26.Eghlima G, Tafreshi YM, Aghamir F, Ahadi H, Hatami M. Regional environmental impacts on growth traits and phytochemical profiles of Glycyrrhiza glabra L. for enhanced medicinal and industrial use. BMC Plant Biol. 2025; 25, 116. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-06147-z
• 27.Ageeva AA, Kruppa AI, Magin IM, Babenko SV, Leshina TV, Polyakov NE. New Aspects of the Antioxidant Activity of Glycyrrhizin Revealed by the CIDNP Technique. Antioxidants. 2022;17;11(8):1591. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox11081591
• 28.Vuolo MM, Lima VS, Junior MRM. Phenolic compounds: Structure, classification, and antioxidant power. In Bioactive compounds Woodhead Publishing. 2019, pp. 33-50). https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-814774-0.00002-5
• 29. Prabhahar MKG, GO J, Varuvel EG, Lenin AH. [Retracted] A Study on Glycyrrhiza glabra‐Fortified Bread: Predicted Glycemic Index and Bioactive Component. Bioinorg Chem Appl. 2022; (1),4669723. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/4669723
• 30.Ahmad R, Alqathama A, Aldholmi M, Riaz M, Mukhtar MH, Aljishi F, Althomali E, Alamer MA, Alsulaiman M, Ayashy A, Alshowaiki M. Biological Screening of Glycyrrhiza glabra L. from Different Origins for Antidiabetic and Anticancer Activity. Pharmaceuticals. 2023; 16(1), 7. https://doi.org/10.3390/ph16010007
• 31.Yang L, Jiang Y, Zhang Z, Hou J, Tian S, Liu Y. The anti-diabetic activity of licorice, a widely used Chinese herb. J Ethnopharmacol. 2020; 113216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2020.113216
• 32.Tan D, Tseng HHL, Zhong Z, Wang S, Vong CT, Wang Y. Glycyrrhizic Acid and Its Derivatives: Promising Candidates for the Management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Its Complications. Int J Mol Sci. 2022; 23(19):10988. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms231910988
• 33.Simsek O, Canli K, Benek A, Turu D, Altuner EM. Biochemical, Antioxidant Properties and Antimicrobial Activity of Epiphytic Leafy Liverwort Frullania dilatata (L.) Dumort. Plants. 2023; 4;12(9):1877. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12091877
• 34.Asad A, Muhammad Z, Nasir R, Komal R. Antimicrobial potential of Glycyrrhiza glabra. JDDMC. 2015; 1(2), 17-20. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.jddmc.20150102.12
• 35.Akhtar R, Shahzad A. Alginate encapsulation in Glycyrrhiza glabra L. with phyto-chemical profiling of root extracts of in vitro converted plants using GC-MS analysis. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed. 2017 7(10), 855-861. https://doi.org/doi.org/10.1016/j.apjtb.2017.09.010
• 36.Hayashi H, Hattori S, Inoue K, Khodzhimatov O, Ashurmetov O, Ito M, Honda G. Field survey of Glycyrrhiza plants in Central Asia (3). Chemical characterization of G. glabra collected in Uzbekistan. Chem Pharm Bull. 2003 Nov; 51(11):1338-40. https://doi.org/10.1248/cpb.51.1338
• 37.Haleem MIA, Gaballa MMS, El-Far AH. et al. Mitigating impact of Glycyrrhiza glabra on virulent Newcastle disease virus challenge in chickens: clinical studies, histopathological alterations and molecular docking. Vet Res Commun. 2024; 48, 3823–3845. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11259-024-10530-w
• 38.Jo E, Sung-Hoon Kim, Jeong-Chan Rac, Sung-Ran Kim, Sung-Dae Choa, Ji-Won Jung, Se-Ran Yang, Joon-Suk Park, Jae-Woong Hwang. Chemopreventive properties of the ethanol extract of chinese licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis) root: induction of apoptosis and G1 cell cycle arrest in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Cancer Lett. 2005; 230; 239–247. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.canlet.2004.12.038
• 39.Zou Y, Chang C, Gu Y, Qian Y. Antioxidant activity and phenolic compositions of lentil (Lens culinaris var. morton) extract and its fractions. JAgric and Food Chem. 2011; 59:2268-2276. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf104640k
• 40.Apak R, Güçlü K, Özyürek M, Karademir SE. Novel total antioxidant capacity index for dietary polyphenols and vitamins C and E, using their cupric ion reducing capability in the presence of neocuproine: CUPRAC method, J Agric Food Chem. 2004; 52, 7970–7981. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf048741x
• 41.Ramakrishna R, Sarkar D, Schwarz P, Shetty K. Phenolic linked anti-hyperglycemic bioactives of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivars as nutraceuticals targeting type 2 diabetes Ind Crops Prod. 2017; 107, p: 509-517. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2017.03.033
• 42.Sen A, Kurkcuoglu M, Senkardes I, Bitis L, Baser KHC. Chemical Composition, Antidiabetic, Anti-inflammatory and Antioxidant Activity of Inula ensifolia L. Essential Oil. J Essent Oil-Bear Plants. 2019; 22 (4);1048 – 1057. https://doi.org/10.1080/0972060X.2019.1662333
• 43.EUCAST. European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing. Determination of minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) by broth dilution. 2023 Retrieved from www.eucast.org
• 44.Kowalska-Krochmal B, Dudek-Wicher R. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration of Antibiotics: Methods, Interpretation, Clinical Relevance. Pathogens. 2021; 10;165. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10020165
• 45.Gao X, Ohlander M, Jeppsson N, Björk L, Trajkovski V. Changes in antioxidant effects and their relationship to phytonutrients in fruits of sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides l.) during maturation. J Agric Food Chemistry. 2000; 48:1485-1490. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf991072g
• 46.Yıldırım A, Şen A, Doğan A, Bitis L. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of capitula, leaf and stem extracts of Tanacetum cilicicum (Boiss.) Grierson. IJSM. 2019; 6;(2), 211-222. https://doi.org/10.21448/ijsm.510316
• 47.Zhang R, Zeng Q, Deng Y, Zhang M, Wei Z, Zhang Y, Tang X. Phenolic Profiles and Antioxidant Activity of Litchipulp of Different Cultivars Cultivated in Southern China. Food Chem. 2013; 136: 1169-1176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2012.09.085
• 48.Chang CL, Lin CS, Lai GH. Phytochemical characteristics, free radical scavenging activities, and neuroprotection of five medicinal plant extracts. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine. eCAM, 2012; 984295. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/984295
• 49.Medina-Meza IG, Aluwi NA, Saunders SR, Ganjyal GMi GC–MS profiling of triterpenoid saponins from 28 quinoa varieties (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) grown in Washington State. J Agr Food Chem. 2016; 64 (45), 8583–8591. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.6b02156.
• 50.Pandya A, Thiele B, Zurita-Silva A., Usadel B., Fiorani F. Determination and metabolite profiling of mixtures of triterpenoid saponins from seeds of chilean quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) germplasm. Agronomy. 2021; 11 (1867), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11091867