Glycyrrhizin
| Clinical data | |
|---|---|
| Trade names | Epigen, Glycyron |
| AHFS/Drugs.com | International Drug Names |
| Routes of administration | Oral, intravenous |
| ATC code | |
| Pharmacokinetic data | |
| Metabolism | Hepatic and by intestinal bacteria |
| Elimination half-life | 6.2–10.2 hours[1] |
| Excretion | Faeces, urine (0.31–0.67%)[2] |
| Identifiers | |
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| CAS Number |
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| PubChem CID | |
| ChemSpider | |
| UNII | |
| KEGG | |
| ChEBI | |
| ChEMBL | |
| E number | E958 (glazing agents, ...) |
| CompTox Dashboard (EPA) | |
| ECHA InfoCard | 100.014.350 |
| Chemical and physical data | |
| Formula | C42H62O16 |
| Molar mass | 822.942 g·mol−1 |
| 3D model (JSmol) | |
| Solubility in water | 1–10 mg/mL (20 °C) |
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Glycyrrhizin (glycyrrhizic acid or glycyrrhizinic acid) is the chief sweet-tasting constituent of Glycyrrhiza glabra (liquorice) root. Structurally, it is a saponin used as an emulsifier and gel-forming agent in foodstuffs and cosmetics. Its aglycone is enoxolone.
Pharmacokinetics
[edit]After oral ingestion, glycyrrhizin is hydrolysed to 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid (enoxolone) by intestinal bacteria. After absorption from the gut, 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid is metabolised to 3β-monoglucuronyl-18β-glycyrrhetinic acid in the liver. This metabolite circulates in the bloodstream. Consequently, its oral bioavailability is poor.[quantify] Most of it is eliminated by bile and only a minor part (0.31–0.67%) by urine.[3] After oral ingestion of 600 mg of glycyrrhizin the metabolite appeared in urine after 1.5 to 14 hours. Maximal concentrations (0.49 to 2.69 mg/L) were achieved after 1.5 to 39 hours and metabolite can be detected in the urine after 2 to 4 days.[3]
Pharmacological action
[edit]The polypharmacological effect of glycyrrhizinic acid, which has at least 12 types of activity[4] (antitumor[5], hepatoprotective[6], immunomodulatory, antidiabetic, nephroprotective, cardioprotective, neuroprotective, atheroprotective, anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic, etc.), is closely related to its interaction with various cellular targets. Approximately 88 cellular proteins[4] have been experimentally identified as potential targets of glycyrrhizic acid, including cytochromes P450, UDP-glucouronosyltransferases, oxidoreductases, and proteins involved in amino acid metabolism and steroid hormone biosynthesis.
Flavouring properties
[edit]Glycyrrhizin is obtained as an extract from licorice root after maceration and boiling in water.[7] Licorice extract (glycyrrhizin) is sold in the United States as a liquid, paste, or spray-dried powder.[7] When in specified amounts, it is approved for use as a flavor and aroma in manufactured foods, beverages, candies, dietary supplements, and seasonings.[7] It is 30 to 50 times as sweet as sucrose (table sugar).[8]
Adverse effects
[edit]The most widely reported side effect of glycyrrhizin use via consumption of black liquorice is reduction of blood potassium levels, which can affect body fluid balance and function of nerves.[9][10] Chronic consumption of black licorice, even in moderate amounts, is associated with an increase in blood pressure,[10] may cause irregular heart rhythm, and may have adverse interactions with prescription drugs.[9] In extreme cases, death can occur as a result of excess consumption.[11][12]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ van Rossum TG, Vulto AG, Hop WC, Schalm SW (December 1999). "Pharmacokinetics of intravenous glycyrrhizin after single and multiple doses in patients with chronic hepatitis C infection". Clinical Therapeutics. 21 (12): 2080–2090. doi:10.1016/S0149-2918(00)87239-2. hdl:1765/73160. PMID 10645755.
- ^ Ploeger B, Mensinga T, Sips A, Seinen W, Meulenbelt J, DeJongh J (May 2001). "The pharmacokinetics of glycyrrhizic acid evaluated by physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling". Drug Metabolism Reviews. 33 (2): 125–147. doi:10.1081/DMR-100104400. PMID 11495500. S2CID 24778157.
- ^ a b Glavač NK, Kreft S (2012). "Excretion profile of glycyrrhizin metabolite in human urine". Food Chemistry. 131: 305–308. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2011.08.081.
- ^ a b Ershov PV, Yablokov EO, Kaluzhskiy LA, Mezentsev YV, Gnedenko OV, Konstantinov MA, et al. (September 2025). "Glycyrrhizic acid: novel potential protein targets". Biomeditsinskaia Khimiia (in Russian). 71 (4): 270–282. doi:10.18097/PBMCR1595. PMID 40904179.
- ^ Su X, Wu L, Hu M, Dong W, Xu M, Zhang P (November 2017). "Glycyrrhizic acid: A promising carrier material for anticancer therapy". Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. 95: 670–678. doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2017.08.123. PMID 28886526.
- ^ Cao R, Gong H, Xia S, Hu Z, Fan X, Zhai B, et al. (June 2025). "Glycyrrhizic acid promotes liver regeneration through activating β-catenin in acetaminophen-induced liver injury". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 349 119895. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2025.119895. PMID 40306499.
- ^ a b c "Sec. 184.1408 Licorice and licorice derivatives". US Food and Drug Administration, Code of Federal Regulations Title 21, 21CFR184.1408. 1 April 2017. Archived from the original on May 10, 2003. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
- ^ "Glycyrrhizic Acid". PubChem. National Institutes of Health. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
- ^ a b "Black Licorice: Trick or Treat?". US Food and Drug Administration. 30 October 2017. Archived from the original on October 27, 2011. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
- ^ a b Penninkilampi R, Eslick EM, Eslick GD (November 2017). "The association between consistent licorice ingestion, hypertension and hypokalaemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis". Journal of Human Hypertension. 31 (11): 699–707. doi:10.1038/jhh.2017.45. PMID 28660884. S2CID 205168217.
- ^ Marchione M. "Too much candy: Man dies from eating bags of black licorice". AP News. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
- ^ Edelman ER, Butala NM, Avery LL, Lundquist AL, Dighe AS (September 2020). "Case 30-2020: A 54-Year-Old Man with Sudden Cardiac Arrest". The New England Journal of Medicine. 383 (13): 1263–1275. doi:10.1056/NEJMcpc2002420. PMC 8568064. PMID 32966726.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Glycyrrhizin at Wikimedia Commons