Chemical analysis of the Chinese herbal medicine licorice (Gan-Cao): An update review

Abstract

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Licorice, called Gan-Cao in China, is one of the most popular traditional herbal medicines. It is derived from the dried roots and rhizomes of Glycyrrhiza uralensis, G. glabra, and G. inflata. Licorice is recorded in the pharmacopoeias of China, Japan, US, and Europe.

Aim: This review updates research progress of licorice from the perspectives of chemical analysis, quality evaluation, drug metabolism, and pharmacokinetic studies from 2009 to April 2022.

Materials and methods: Both English and Chinese literatures were collected from databases including PubMed, Elsevier, Web of Science, and CNKI (Chinese). Licorice, extraction, structural characterization/identification, quality control, metabolism, and pharmacokinetics were used as keywords.

Results: Newly developed analytical methods, including LC/UV, 2DLC, LC/MS, GC/MS, and mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) for chemical analysis of licorice were summarized.

Conclusion: This review provides a comprehensive summary on chemical analysis of licorice.

Keywords: Chemical analysis; Licorice; Metabolite identification; Pharmacokinetics; Qualitative analysis; Quantitative analysis.