LIQUORICE Glycyrrhiza glabra
Papilionaceae
San: Yashtimadhu Hin: Jathimadh Mal: Irattimadhuram Tam:Athimadhuram
Tel: Yashtimadhukam Ben: Yashtomadhu Pun:Muleti
Importance
Liquorice or Muleti is a perennial herb or undershrub about 1m high. Its dried peeled
or unpeeled underground stems and roots constitute the drug which is an important constituent
of all cough and catarrh syrups, throat lozenges and pastilles. This has been used in medicine
for more than 4000 years. Hippocrates (400 BC) mentioned its use as a remedy for ulcers and
quenching of thirst. Dioscorides, the father of Greek medicine described this drug in detail
and considered it useful for maintaining shape of arteries and in burning stomach, trouble of
liver and kidney, scabies, healing of wounds and as a remedy for eye diseases. It has been
used in Arab system of medicine for more than 600 years from where it has been adopted to
modern medicine (Gibson, 1978).
The commercial name of the dried rhizome and root of the plant is liquorice which is
used as flavouring agent and the taste coorigent in pharmaceutical and confectionery
industries and its products are widely reported to be useful in ulcer therapy. Glycyrrhizin, a
triterpene glucoside, is the principal constituent of G. glabra which is 50 times sweeter than
sugar.
Distribution
Liquorice is native to Mediterranean region, South Europe and Middle East. It is
widely distributed in Spain, Italy, Greece, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Turkey, parts of USSR
and China. However its cultivation is limited to small areas in USSR, UK, and USA. In India,
it grows in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir. Semi arid areas of Haryana, Rajasthan and
Gujarath states are suitable for the cultivation of Liquorice. However, its commercial
cultivation has not yet been possible and the domestic requirement is largely met through
imports.
Botany
Glycyrrhiza glabra Linn. belongs to the family Papilionaceae. The word
Glycyrrhiza is of Greek origin meaning ‘sweet’ and glabra means ‘smooth’ which refers to
smooth fruit of the species. This is a tall perennial, self pollinated herb or undershrub about
1m high with long cylindrical burrowing rootstock and horizontal creeping stolons which
reach 1.5-1.8m in length. Leaves are alternate, pinnate with 9-17 leaflets. Leaflets are
yellowish-green, 2.5-5cm long, ovate and obtuse. Flowers are pale blue arranged in a raceme
and 1.25cm long. Calyx is glandular and pubescent. The pods are glabrous, red to brown
having 3-4 seeds. Rhizome is soft, flexible and fibrous with light yellow colour and a
characteristic sweet taste.
Agrotechnology
This plant thrives well in subtropical areas with very warm summers and cool
winters with a rainfall not exceeding 500mm. Semi-arid and arid areas in subtropical zones