A Pharmacognostic review of Liquorice: Pharmacological actions, Current uses and Future prospects

Herbs used as medicines are one of the widely adopted treatment alternatives which is in effect since ancient times. Herbal drugs are of great importance to the population because of its ease of availability and the relief of having no side effects. Majority of the herbal drugs are possessed to have more than one pharmacological effect. One such classic example of well-known herbal drug is Liquorice which is commonly known as Sweet Wood or Mulethi. Liquorice is available in dried root or rhizome form and it is widely used as natural sweetener, expectorant and as a hepato-protectant. The herb is widely grown in Baluchistan, Spain and in certain parts of Himalayan region of India. There are various active chemical compounds of Liquorice which include saponins and flavonoids. The pharmacological actions of this drug are attributed to its major active chemical compound named Glycyrrhizin. Liquorice is also found to have specific anti-viral activity against certain viral cells. The current article focusses on the pharmacognostic review of Liquorice and its uses. The multiple pharmacological effects of this drug and the future prospects of using Liquorice in developing formulations have been discussed in detail.