Glycyrrhiza glabra (Liquorice) - a potent medicinal herb

There is an increasing demand for herbal medicines, health products, pharmaceuticals. Glycyrrhiza glabra Linn is a plant used in traditional medicine across the world for its ethnopharmacological value. It is found to contain important phytoconstituents such as glycyrrhizin, glycyrrhizinic acid, glabrin A and B and isoflavones. It is effectively used as anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-diabetic, antiviral, anti-ulcer, antitussive, anti-oxidant, skin whitening, anti-diuretic agent. The present article is an effort to compile the available literature on Glycyrrhiza glabra with respect to its traditional uses, bioactive constituents and pharmacologic activities. This may be useful in discovering potential therapeutic effects and developing new formulations.