The extracts of this herb are incorporated into cosmeceuticals to improve skin brightness but are used in Asian medicine for wounds and carbuncle therapy. The active components consist of triterpene saponins such as glycyrrhizin (3-15%), flavonoids including licoricidin, isoflavones such as glabridin, hydroxycoumarins including glycycoumarin, cumestans such as glycynol, sterols such as beta-sitosterol, and volatile oils including eugenol. Glycyrrhizin inhibit replication of varicella zoster, hepatitis B, cytomegalovirus, and HIV and stimulates IFN production. It is also anti-estrogenic, antistaphylococcal, antiprotozoal, anti-fungal, anti-yeast, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiplatelet, antithrombin, anti-cancer and sebostatic effects. Glabridin is anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and inhibits tyrosinase reducing UVB-induced erythema and pigmentation (3).
Licorice is administered by comminuted drug, powder, juice, decoction, and tea for infusions. This herb is contraindicated in pregnancy, lactation, hepato-, and renal toxicity and cardiac disease. It may induce rhabdomyolysis, pseudoaldosteronism, and hypokalemic alkylosis. Licorice interacts adversely with anti-arrythmic, antihypertensive, anticoagulant, and antidiabetic drugs, contraceptives, diuretics, laxatives, MAO inhibitors, and corticosteroid drugs (13,22).