novel process for extraction of natural sweetener from licorice Glycyrrhiza glabra) roots

Pressurized hot water extraction (PHWE) is a very useful technique for recovering bioactive molecules from natural materials using subcritical compressed liquid water in the temperature range of 50–150 ◦C. A novel process has been developed for making a natural sweetener from licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) roots involving selective chemical reaction and easy separation, for recovering mono-ammonium glycyrrhizate (MAG) using hot water with dissolved ammonia and pressurized with carbon dioxide. The atural sweetener icorice ono-ammonium glycyrrhizate ressurized hot water extraction performance of the novel PHWE process has been evaluated to ascertain the optimum process parameters to maximize the recovery of MAG by varying the parameters, such as temperature (30–120 ◦C), pressure (1–10atm), extraction time (60–120min), water-to-feed ratio (20–40ml/g), number of stages (1–3), stirring rate (0–350 rpm), ammonia concentration (0.01–4%, w/v), and grinding. The quantification ofMAG recovered in the extract has been based on the vanillin sulfuric acidmethod using UV spectrophotometer. The maximum recovery of MAG from licorice roots has been achieved at 110 ◦C and 5atm with the ratio of 40ml/g of 0.01% (w/v) ammonia solution to powdered feed after 90min of extraction.