Licorice Extract’s anti-inflammatory property was ascribed to its key component Glycyrrhizin, and inhibitory rate against COX-2 enzyme reached 78%, 2.3 times compared with ibuprofen. Based on clinical tests, rheumatoid arthritis patients who received a daily dose of 150mg standardized extract (≥20% glycyrrhizin) reduced IL-6 to 19.3pg/mL (down by 54%) at 8 weeks, and joint swelling index remission rate up to 63%. According to a 2022 Nature Immunology study, the active reduces production of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) by 42% by activating the Nrf2 pathway, which improves systemic lupus erythematosus symptoms in fact. Chinese drug company Yangzijiang Pharmaceutical used Licorice Extract to develop own anti-inflammatory Chinese medication, with sales exceeding 1.2 billion yuan in 2023, 8.7% more than previous year in terms of market share.
In the area of digestive system protection, Licorice Extract has a special benefit. Gastric ulcer patients who received A combination with Licochalcone A had a healing rate of 92% after 4 weeks, 18% higher than the omeprazole control group. In vitro experiments indicated that it inhibited gastric acid secretion to 0.32mL/h (61%) by suppressing H+/K+ -ATPase activity (IC50=2.8μM). Tsumura-68, a Japanese patented pharmaceutical composition of TSUMURA Pharmaceutical, determined that the MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) of Licorice Extract against H. pylori was 12.5μg/mL, three orders of magnitude lower than Biklamycin. Mucosal repair agents containing this ingredient reduced the recurrence rate of gastrointestinal bleeding from 21% to 6.3%, according to statistics in Gastroenterology in 2023.
As for immune regulation, the polysaccharide component (GLP) of Licorice Extract increased NK cell activity to 65.3% (+29%) and corrected the CD4+/CD8+ ratio from 1.2 to 1.8. In the AIDS adjuvant therapy study, subjects taking 500mg per day of extract lowered viral load by 0.8log10 and increased CD4+T cell count to 287cells/μL (+23%) after 6 months. A study done by Seoul National University in South Korea found that their flavonoids reduced the differentiation rate of Th17 cells from 18.7% to 9.4% through the inhibition of STAT3 phosphorylation, and the symptomatic relief rate of multiple sclerosis model mice was up to 81%. The European Union EMA approved Licorice Extract (diammonium glycyrrhizate) injection with high purity improved the survival rate at 30 days in severe hepatitis patients to 73%, which was 28% higher than that of the control treatment group.
Licorice Extract’s glabridin has a tyrosinase inhibitory rate of 0.35μg/mL, 12 times that of arbutin. Clinical trials proved that a 2% cream of this compound reduced MASI scores by 47% in melasma patients, which was 1.6 times higher efficacy and non-irritating than hydroquinone cream. In atopic dermatitis, inhibition of IL-31 signaling reduced pruritus VAS score from 7.2 to 3.1 (57% reduction) and epidermal water loss (TEWL) by 43%. Beiersdorf lesions confirmed that Licorice Extract nanoliposome accelerated UV-induced DNA damage repair to 0.82 lesions/h, 2.7-fold faster than untreated lesions.
Antiviral activity makes Licorice Extract a natural protective agent. Against HSV-1 virus, its Chalcone derivative suppressed the viral load by 4.1log10 (inhibition rate 99.99%) and EC50 value of 0.08μM was superior to acyclovir (0.34μM). In the in vitro test for new coronavirus, glycyrrhizin binding constant to spike protein was KD=12nM, and virus entry blocking efficacy was up to 78%. Clinical data at Wuhan Makeshift Hospital in 2020 showed the TCM prescription with Licorice Extract decreased the patient’s nucleic acid conversion period to 9.3 days (13.7 days in the control group), and the rate of improvement in lung CT increased by 29%.
Market and compliance data confirm its value. The global Licorice Extract market is expected to expand to $870 million in 2023 from $1.53 billion in 2030 (growth rate of 8.4%), with EU COSMOS certification enabling a 63% increase in cosmetic raw material purchase in Europe. The Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2020 tightened the criterion for glycyrrhizic acid content error from ±5% to ±2%, leading to a 41% surge in demand for high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) testing equipment. According to consumer research, 67% of natural skin care users are willing to pay an extra 23% for products containing Licorice Extract, with a re-purchase rate of 58% and an NPS (net recommended value) of 52 points, which is considerably higher than synthetic products (31 points).