Abstract
The licorice (liquorice) plant (Glycyrrhiza glabra) is a legume native to Southern Europe, India, and parts of Asia. It is a herbaceous perennial, growing to 1 m in height, also known as "sweet root." Licorice root contains compounds that are about 50 times sweeter than sugar.
Much of the sweetness in licorice comes from glycyrrhizin. Licorice root has been used in both Eastern and Western medicine to treat a variety of illnesses, ranging from the common cold to liver disease.
It is still used today for several conditions, although not all its uses are supported by scientific evidence. In the past few years a neuroprotective effect of substances present in licorice has been shown.
Mainly liquiritigenin, one of the active ingredients licorice roots, could indicate the development of a new drug for neurodegenerative diseases. Interesting is also its antidepressive and anxiolytic effect.