Collected at different times of the year, unpeeled (naturales) or peeled (mundatae) from the cork, are the roots and underground shoots of perennial wild herbaceous plants licorice naked - Glycyrrhiza glabra L. and Ural licorice - Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch., fam. legumes - Fabaceae.
MINISTRY OF HEALTH OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
PHARMACOPOEIAL ARTICLE
Licorice roots FS.2.5.0040.15
Glycyrrhizae radices Instead of GF X , Art. 573
(amendment No. 1 dated 02/17/1999)
Collected at different times of the year, unpeeled (naturales) or peeled (mundatae) from the cork, are the roots and underground shoots of perennial wild herbaceous plants licorice naked - Glycyrrhiza glabra L. and Ural licorice - Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch., fam. legumes - Fabaceae.
general information
Licorice belongs to the legume family.
Initially it grew in the Mediterranean, Asia Minor and Central Asia. Licorice began to be actively used in medicine after the plant came to China and Tibet. Licorice glabra grows in places protected from the winds. The plant can tolerate overheating and cooling of the soil, but not frost. It grows in fields, steppes and semi-steppes, near seas, along river valleys and on sand. May form thickets. Licorice glabra is widespread in the North Caucasus, Eastern Transcaucasia, along the lower reaches of the Don and Volga, in Crimea, on the coast of the Sea of Azov, and in southeastern Europe. Ural licorice is found in the Southern Urals, Kyrgyzstan, Western and Eastern Siberia, and Kazakhstan.
Determination of the main groups of biologically active substances
Thin layer chromatography
Preparation of solutions.
Standard solution (RS) of 18β-glycyrrhizic acid. About 0.005 g of CO monoammonium salt of glycyrrhizic acid is dissolved in 1 ml of a mixture of 96% alcohol - water (1:1 v/v). The shelf life of the solution is no more than 3 months when stored in a cool, dark place.
Quercetin CO solution. About 0.001 g of quercetin CO is dissolved in 10 ml of 96% alcohol. The shelf life of the solution is no more than 3 months when stored in a cool, dark place.
About 0.5 g of raw material, crushed to the size of particles passing through a sieve with holes measuring 0.5 mm, is placed in a conical flask with a ground section with a capacity of 100 ml, 10 ml of a mixture of 96% alcohol - water (1: 1) is added and boiled with reflux in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. After cooling to room temperature, the extract is filtered through a paper filter (test solution).
On the starting line of an analytical chromatographic plate with a layer of silica gel with a fluorescent indicator on an aluminum or polymer substrate measuring 10 × 10 cm, 5 μl of the test solution is applied in the form of strips 10 mm long, no more than 3 mm wide and, on top of each other (in one strip) and 5 μl of solutions of CO 18β-glycyrrhizic acid and CO quercetin. The plate with the applied samples is dried at room temperature, placed in a chamber (without preliminary saturation) with a mixture of solvents n-butanol - glacial acetic acid - water (7: 1: 2) and chromatographed using the ascending method. When the front of solvents has passed about 80 - 90% of the length of the plate from the starting line, it is removed from the chamber, dried until traces of solvents are removed, and viewed under UV light at a wavelength of 254 nm.
On the chromatogram of a solution of CO 18β-glycyrrhizic acid and a solution of CO quercetin, 2 dark zones of adsorption should be detected.
The chromatogram of the test solution should show 2 main dark zones of adsorption at the level of zones on the chromatograms of a solution of CO 18β-glycyrrhizic acid and a solution of CO quercetin, 1 or 2 less pronounced adsorption zones in between; detection of other adsorption zones is allowed.
Procurement of raw materials
Licorice root is harvested in early spring (March) or late autumn (November). In this case, the plant must be at least 3 years old. The roots are dug up, but about 25% of the rhizomes are left for subsequent restoration of the thicket. Harvesting can be carried out again no earlier than after 6 years.
Licorice roots (separated from the above-ground part) are cleared of soil and washed with cold water. Before drying, they should be dried for 1–2 days. After this, the roots are cut lengthwise into pieces 30–35 cm long, laid out and dried in the sun or in a dryer. The raw material is considered dried when the roots break easily when bent. Raw materials can be stored for up to 10 years. To obtain juice, the roots are boiled. It is then dried in a vacuum where it is pressed into licorice or licorice candies.
AUTHENTICITY
External signs
Whole raw materials. Pieces of roots and underground shoots of cylindrical shape of various lengths and thicknesses. There are pieces of roots that turn into a strongly overgrown rhizome more than 10 cm thick.
The surface of unpeeled roots and shoots is longitudinally wrinkled, covered with a grayish-brown or brown cork; the cleaned raw material is light yellow to brownish-yellow in color on the outside with minor remains of cork; fracture from light yellow to yellowish-orange, granular-fibrous.
When viewed under a magnifying glass (10×) or a stereomicroscope (16×), a cross section of roots and underground shoots reveals numerous wide medullary rays and elongated groups of vessels, giving a clearly visible radiant structure. Radial cracks often form along the medullary rays. The shoots have a small core, the roots do not have a core. The smell is weak. The taste of the aqueous extract is sweet, cloying, slightly irritating.
Crushed raw materials. Pieces of raw materials of various shapes, usually fibrous, ranging in size from 1 to 10 mm (for unrefined raw materials) and from 1 to 6 mm (for purified raw materials) or passing through a sieve with holes measuring 6 mm (for medicinal herbal preparations).
The color of the purified raw material is from light yellow to brownish yellow with minor remains of cork; unrefined raw materials - yellow, grayish-yellow, brownish-yellow, with remains of grayish-brown or brown cork. The smell is weak, the taste of the aqueous extract is sweet, cloying, slightly irritating.
Powder. Pieces of raw materials of various shapes, usually fibrous, pass through a sieve with holes measuring 2 mm.
The color of the purified raw material is from light yellow to brownish yellow with minor remains of cork; unrefined raw materials - yellow, grayish-yellow, brownish-yellow, with remains of grayish-brown or brown cork. The smell is weak. The taste of the aqueous extract is sweet, cloying, slightly irritating.
Microscopic signs
Whole raw materials. When examining cross-sectional micropreparations, a multilayer plug should be visible in an unpeeled root; under the plug there is a primary cortex, consisting of large elongated cells, often with prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate (in cleaned roots, the primary cortex is also partially removed along with the plug). The primary cortex passes into a well-developed wide secondary cortex, in which wide medullary rays, sometimes expanding towards the surface, are visible, alternating with a bast consisting of sieve tubes, bast fibers and parenchyma cells. The sieve tubes, except for the narrow layer adjacent to the cambium, are compressed and represent a deformed (obliterated) bast, forming an elongated cone, with its wide base facing the cambium, and the elongated apex passes, bending between groups of bast fibers. Bast fibers with strongly thickened walls and a narrow cavity are collected in groups and surrounded by a crystal-bearing lining. The parenchyma cells of the cortex and medullary rays contain starch grains - simple, round or ovoid. The wood consists of vessels of different diameters - from narrow to very wide, groups of sclerenchyma fibers with a crystalline lining and parenchyma containing starch. When stained with iodine solution, the medullary rays and parenchyma turn blue, the deformed bast does not stain and remains grayish, the vessels become yellow, and groups of bark and wood fibers turn orange. On a longitudinal-radial section in the bark and wood, long, highly thickened sclerenchyma fibers with a crystalline lining are visible; in wood there are narrow vessels - mesh, medium - with slit-like pores and wide - with barrel-shaped short segments and slit-like bordered pores located in oblique rows.
Crushed raw materials and powder. When examining micropreparations, fragments of thin-walled parenchyma should be visible, consisting of round or rounded-polygonal cells, often with groups of prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate; groups of bark and wood fibers, usually with a crystalline lining; fragments of bast with sieve tubes; fragments or groups of mesh vessels of various diameters with slit-like bordered pores, often accompanied by bundles of fibers (segments of wide vessels are usually short, barrel-shaped); cork fragments consisting of several layers of polygonal cells.
Licorice roots
Drawing -
1 – fragment of a cross section of an unpeeled root: a – plug, b – bast fibers, c – obliterated bast, d – xylem vessels, e – parenchyma of the medullary rays (40×); 2 – fragment of multilayer cork (200×); 3 – fragment of a longitudinal section: a – parenchyma cells, b – mesh vessels with bordered slit-like pores (400×); 4 – root fragment: a – sieve tubes of bast, b – fibers with a crystalline lining (200×); 5 – root fragment: a – parenchyma cells of the cortex with prismatic crystals of calcium oxalate (200×)
Licorice root - medicinal properties
The main medicinal properties of licorice root are the normalization of the process of removing thickened and difficult to separate sputum. Due to the content of glycyrrhizic acid in the plant, preparations from licorice root have an expectorant and anti-inflammatory effect. The substance also has an antiviral effect, therefore it is an effective remedy in the fight against colds and infectious diseases. The component is able to suppress viral replication by stimulating the activity of interferons.
The content of glycyrrhizic acid in licorice root causes other positive effects from its use. This component has hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects. It is able to improve liver regeneration, so licorice root has found use in the treatment of diseases of the organ. Preparations from the plant help eliminate the main cause of liver cell destruction - inflammatory processes. Due to the antifibrogenic effect of glycyrrhizic acid, taking the roots for liver diseases helps protect organ cells from damage and degeneration into fibrous tissue. Preventive use of plant-based medicines for serious diseases such as chronic hepatitis C can reduce the risk of primary liver cancer. Licorice can be indicated for fatty liver degeneration, cirrhosis, alcohol, toxic and drug damage to the organ, and can also be used as a preventive measure for cirrhosis and hepatitis.
Licorice has established itself as a medicine that has a positive effect on the condition of the stomach. Due to the fact that the plant contains mucus, preparations from its roots gently envelop the mucous membrane of the organ. This mechanism protects the stomach from damage and pain. The content of flavonoids in the plant provides protection of the digestive tract from the Helicobacter bacterium, which causes gastritis, ulcerative damage to the stomach and intestines, as well as cancer of these organs.
Licorice root is used in the treatment of skin diseases. The benefit of the plant for autoimmune dermatological diseases is determined by the content of the main component - glycyrrhizic acid. It not only provides expectoration and a hepatoprotective effect, but also stimulates the function of the adrenal glands, and therefore can enhance the work of glucocorticosteroid drugs. Liquorice medications may be prescribed to patients who are stopping treatment with hormonal medications to avoid withdrawal symptoms.
Historical reference
The healing properties of licorice have been known for more than 5 thousand years. Shen-Nun was the first to describe it in his treatise “Ben-tsao”. Since then, it has been used in Eastern medicine along with ginseng. Ancient Chinese doctors believed that to rejuvenate and strengthen the body, i.e. for children and the elderly, licorice is even preferable.
According to the ancient Egyptian medical encyclopedia known as the Ebers Papyrus, it was an anti-inflammatory and restorative drug in Sumer and Egypt.
The medieval French physician Odo of Mena used licorice root for coughs, bronchitis, pneumonia, and treated gastritis and other inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Already in modern times, Professor A.V. Mozheiko proved the effectiveness of licorice for colds and chronic bronchitis. In pediatrics, in children prone to vomiting and regurgitation of other drugs, it did not cause side effects.
In 1964, Soviet scientists confirmed the anti-inflammatory properties of licorice root. Its active substances act like cortisone and butadione, and in some cases even more effectively. The effect is based on stimulation of the adrenal cortex.
At the beginning of the 21st century, Japanese scientists found substances in the plant that suppress the AIDS virus.
Action and use of licorice root
Licorice root contains many active substances that have medicinal properties.
- Glycyrrhizic acid: relieves inflammation, stimulates the adrenal glands, has anti-allergic properties. It inhibits the biosynthesis of cholesterol, reacts with it and forms an insoluble complex. This is the basis for its anti-sclerotic effect.
- Flavonoids: relax smooth muscles, relieve spasm, inflammation, normalize the level of permeability of blood vessel walls.
- Foaming substances (saponins): increase the secretory function of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract, gently envelop, protect against irritation, thin mucus and facilitate coughing. They have an anti-inflammatory and disinfectant effect.
Licorice root is drunk for coughs, bronchitis, bronchial asthma and other inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract. It is used in gynecology in the treatment of inflammatory diseases and erosions.
Used for dermatitis, psoriasis, lupus, eczema, pemphigus, neurodermatitis, dermatitis, allergic manifestations and other skin diseases.
Licorice root is suitable for the treatment and prevention of metabolic disorders and water-salt balance, and normalization of blood pressure. They treat gastritis, peptic ulcers, constipation, inflammation of the genitourinary system and joints, rheumatism, kidney pathologies and decreased function of the adrenal cortex, diseases of the eyes, nose, ears and inflammatory processes in the oral cavity. Licorice root is also used as a complementary therapy for Addison's disease and diabetes.
Licorice root is taken for a limited time, as prolonged and uncontrolled use can be harmful.
TESTS
Humidity
Whole raw materials, crushed raw materials: unrefined - no more than 14%; purified - no more than 14%. Powder - no more than 14%.
Total ash
Whole raw materials, crushed raw materials: unrefined - no more than 8%; purified - no more than 8%. Powder - no more than 8%.
Ash, insoluble in hydrochloric acid
Whole raw materials: unrefined – no more than 2.5%; purified - no more than 1%. Crushed raw materials: unrefined - no more than 2.5%; purified - no more than 2.5%. Powder - no more than 2.5%.
Raw material grinding
Crushed raw materials (unrefined and purified): particles that do not pass through a sieve with holes measuring 10 mm - no more than 5%; particles passing through a sieve with holes measuring 0.5 mm, no more than 5%; particles that do not pass through a sieve with holes measuring 6 mm - no more than 5%; particles passing through a sieve with holes measuring 0.18 mm, no more than 5%; Powder: particles that do not pass through a sieve with holes measuring 2 mm - no more than 5%; particles passing through a sieve with holes measuring 0.18 mm, no more than 5%.
Foreign matter
Roots, flabby at the fracture, yellow-brown, and remains of stems. Whole raw materials: unrefined – no more than 4%.
Roots poorly cleared of cork. Whole raw materials: purified - no more than 15%.
Note. Roots with remnants of more than 3 sections of dark brown plug on one piece or when the diameter of the remnants of the plug is more than 10 mm are considered poorly cleaned.
Roots, darkened and dark brown on the surface, but light yellow at the break. Whole raw materials: purified - no more than 20%.
Root particles darkened on the surface. Crushed raw materials: purified – no more than 15%.
Particles that are poorly cleared from the cork. Crushed raw materials: purified – no more than 3%.
Organic impurity. Whole raw materials: unrefined – no more than 1%; purified - no more than 0.5%. Crushed raw materials: unrefined - no more than 1%; purified - no more than 0.5%.
Mineral impurity. Whole raw materials: unrefined – no more than 1%; purified - no more than 0.5%. Crushed raw materials: unrefined - no more than 1%; purified - no more than 0.5%. Powder - no more than 1%.
Heavy metals
In accordance with the requirements of the General Pharmacopoeia Monograph “Determination of the content of heavy metals and arsenic in medicinal plant materials and medicinal herbal preparations.”
Radionuclides
In accordance with the requirements of the General Pharmacopoeia Monograph “Determination of radionuclide content in medicinal plant materials and medicinal herbal preparations.”
Pesticide residues
In accordance with the requirements of the General Pharmacopoeia Monograph “Determination of the content of residual pesticides in medicinal plant materials and medicinal herbal preparations.”
Microbiological purity
In accordance with the requirements of the General Pharmacopoeia Monograph “Microbiological purity”.
quantitation
Whole raw materials (unrefined and purified), crushed raw materials (unrefined and purified), powder: glycyrrhizic acid content - not less than 6%
An analytical sample of raw materials is crushed to the size of particles passing through a sieve with holes measuring 0.2 mm. About 2.0 g (exactly weighed) of crushed raw material is placed in a conical flask with a capacity of 150 ml, 20 ml of acetone solution of nitric acid 3% is added and the mixture is left for 1 hour with frequent and strong stirring. The extract is filtered into a 100 ml cylinder and washed with 10 ml of acetone and filtered through the same filter. Another 20 ml of acetone is added to the flask with the raw material, which is used to simultaneously wash the raw material from the filter, and the mixture is refluxed in a water bath for 5 minutes. The extract is filtered through the same filter into the same cylinder. Extraction with hot acetone is thus repeated 2 more times, washed with acetone until the volume in the cylinder reaches 100 ml. The extract from the cylinder is poured into a 200 ml glass. The cylinder is rinsed with 40 ml of alcohol, which is then poured into the same glass. Next, a concentrated ammonia solution is added drop by drop with vigorous stirring until an abundant light yellow cheesy sediment appears (pH 8.3 - 8.6 is set potentiometrically or by the pinking of wet phenolphthalein paper). The precipitate along with the mother liquor is transferred to a filter placed in a Buchner funnel, and the liquid is sucked off. The glass and filter with sediment are washed with 50 ml of acetone in 3-4 steps. The precipitate with the filter is transferred to the glass in which the precipitation was carried out and dissolved in 50 ml of water. The resulting solution is quantitatively transferred into a 250 ml volumetric flask. The filter is washed several times with small portions of water and added to the main solution. Bring the volume of solution to the mark (solution A).
3.0 ml of solution A is placed in a 50 ml volumetric flask and the volume of the solution is adjusted to the mark with water (solution B).
The optical density of solution B is measured on a spectrophotometer at a wavelength of 258 nm in a cuvette with a layer thickness of 10 mm; water is used as a reference solution.
The content of glycyrrhizic acid in absolutely dry raw materials in percent (X) is calculated using the formula:
Where:
A – optical density of solution B;
a – sample of raw materials, g;
822 – molecular weight of glycyrrhizic acid;
11000 is the molar absorption rate.
Packaging, labeling and transportation
In accordance with the requirements of the General Pharmacopoeia Monograph “Packaging, labeling and transportation of medicinal herbal raw materials and medicinal herbal preparations.”
Storage
In accordance with the requirements of the General Pharmacopoeia Monograph “Storage of medicinal plant raw materials and medicinal herbal preparations”.
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Licorice - benefits
Licorice can lower cholesterol levels in the blood, so taking it is beneficial for the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Periodic use of medicines from the plant provides nutrition to brain cells, which gives a feeling of satisfaction and improves mood. The high content of nutrients in licorice helps improve the appearance of skin, hair and nails if plant preparations are taken orally.
Licorice roots contain such a valuable component as the glycoside liquircitin. The substance is a natural stimulator of insulin production. Therefore, consuming licorice helps normalize the function of the pancreas and ensures its secretion. The component is used as a natural sweetener, so licorice root will be useful for patients with diabetes.
Taking licorice may be a form of preventing allergic reactions in people who are prone to them. Flavonoids in licorice roots include compounds that are not produced by the body on its own. They act as antioxidants and have an important property - the ability to block histamines.
In the form of decoctions and infusions, as well as herbal teas, licorice serves as a diuretic and decongestant. Due to components such as saponins, the production of digestive enzymes is stimulated and metabolism improves. The substances activate the glands, so they help cleanse the body of toxins. Also, a doctor may prescribe licorice extract with a high concentration of saponins for kidney failure.
Contraindications to taking licorice root
Licorice root must be taken in strict accordance with your doctor's instructions. Self-medication is unacceptable, as there is a risk of complications. Uncontrolled consumption of licorice can become a provoking factor for the development of hypertension and fluid accumulation in the body, since the herbal preparation affects the functioning of hormones that regulate urine formation. Liquorice is contraindicated for people with pathologies of the digestive tract, with hypertension, with hyperactive function of the adrenal cortex, with heart failure, obesity, increased blood clotting, as well as patients with hemorrhagic syndrome, severe edema, obesity and serious renal impairment.
