Glycyrrhizin, glycyrrhizinic acid
or glycyrrhizic acid, is the active principle of
liquorice root. It is a powerful
sweetener, 30–50 times as potent as sucrose
(table
sugar).Chemically speaking, glycyrrhizin is a triterpene
glycoside with the
systematic name
(3-beta,20-beta)-20-carboxy-11-oxo-30-norolean-12-en-3-yl
2-O-beta-D-glucopyranuronosyl-alpha-D-glucopyranosiduronic acid. The acid
form is not particularly water-soluble, but its
ammonium
salt is
soluble in water at
pH greater than 4.5.Although sweet, the taste of glycyrrhizin is different from that of
sugar. Glycyrrhizin's sweetness has a slower onset than sugar's, and
lingers in the mouth for some time. Additionally, its characteristic
licorice flavor makes it unsuitable as a direct flavor substitute for
sugar. Unlike the artificial sweetener
aspartame, glycyrrhizin maintains its sweetness under heating.
In the
United States, glycyrrhizin is
Generally Recognized as Safe as a flavoring agent, although not as a
sweetener. Glycyrrhizin is used as a flavoring in some
candies,
pharmaceuticals, and
tobacco
products.
In Japan,
where concern over the safety of artificial sweeteners during the
1970s led
to a shift towards plant-derived sugar substitutes, glycyrrhizin is a
commonly used sweetener, often used in combination with another
plant-based sweetener, stevia.
However, glycyrrhizin appears to have some pharmacological side effects,
and the Japanese government has asked its citizens to limit their
consumption to 200 milligrams per day.
Health effects
Glycyrrhizin and other licorice root products have been used for
numerous medical purposes, particularly treatment of
peptic ulcers and as an
expectorant. The triterpene derivative of glycyrrhizin,
glycyrrhetinic acid, is itself effective in treatment of peptic ulcer.
A synthetic analog,
carbenoxolone, was developed in Britain. Both glycyrrhetinic acid and
carbenoxolone have a modulatory effect on neural signaling through
gap junction channels.
The most widely reported side effects of glycyrrhizin use are
hypertension and
edema (water
retention)