Glycyrrhizae Radix health benefit and side effects, review of medical uses and research trials

Licorice, Glycyrrhizae radix, is one of the herbal medicines in East Asia that has been commonly used for treating various diseases, including stomach disorders.

Substances in Glycyrrhizae Radix
Numerous bioactive compounds are present in Glycyrrhizae Radix including flavonoids and triterpenoids. Flavonoids include liquiritin, liquiritigenin and isoliquiritigenin and triterpenoids include glycyrrhizin, 18alpha-glycyrrhetinic acid, 18beta-glycyrrhetinic acid, 18beta-glycyrrhetinic, and glycyrrhizic acid.

Glycyrrhizae Radix for weight loss
Effect of licorice on the reduction of body fat mass in healthy subjects.
J Endocrinol Invest. 2003 July. Armanini D, De Palo CB, Mattarello MJ, Spinella P, Zaccaria M, Ermolao A, Palermo M, Fiore C, Sartorato P, Francini-Pesenti F, Karbowiak I. Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences-Endocrinology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
The active principle of Glycyrrhizae Radix, glycyrrhetinic acid, is responsible for sodium retention and hypertension, which is the most common side-effect of Glycyrrhizae Radix ingestion. We show an effect of Glycyrrhizae Radix in reducing body fat mass. We studied 15 normal-weight subjects (7 males, age 22-26 yr, and 8 females, age 21-26 yr), who consumed for 2 months 3.5 g a day of a commercial preparation of Glycyrrhizae Radix. Our findings suggest that Glycyrrhizae Radix consumption can reduce fat by inhibiting 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase Type 1 at the level of fat cells.

Glycyrrhizae radix extracts for hepatitis c virus
Two flavonoids extracts from Glycyrrhizae radix inhibit in vitro hepatitis C virus replication.
Hepatol Res. 2009 Jan;39(1): Sekine-Osajima Y, Sakamoto N, Nakagawa M, Itsui Y, Tasaka M, Nishimura-Sakurai Y, Chen CH, Suda G, Mishima K, Onuki Y, Yamamoto M, Maekawa S, Enomoto N, Kanai T, Tsuchiya K, Watanabe M. Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
In this study we screened herbal drugs and their purified compounds, using the Feo replicon system, to determine their effects on in vitro hepatitis C virus replication. We screened herbal drugs and their purified extracts for the activities to suppress hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication. We tested extracts and 13 purified compounds from the following herbs: Glycyrrhizae radix; Rehmanniae radix; Paeoniae radix; Artemisiae capillari spica; and Rhei rhizoma. The HCV replication was significantly and dose-dependently suppressed by two purified compounds, isoliquiritigenin and glycycoumarin, which were from Glycyrrhizae radix. Two purified herbal extracts, isoliquiritigenin and glycycoumarin, specifically suppressed in vitro HCV replication. Further elucidation of their mechanisms of action and evaluation of in vivo effects and safety might constitute a new anti-HCV therapeutics.

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