Licorice (Gan Cao) Extract Powder 10:1, 20:1, 50:1 TLC
【Other names】: Gan Cao, Radix Glycyrrhizae, Liquorice, Liquoric Root
【Botanical source】: Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch, Glycyrrhiza inflata Bat, Glycyrrhiza glabra L.
【Part used】: Dried roots and rhizomes of the leguminous plant Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch, Glycyrrhiza inflata Bat or Glycyrrhiza glabra L. Excavate in spring and autumn, remove the roots, and dry in the sun.
【Specification】: 10:1, 20:1, 50:1 TLC
【Appearance】: Brownish yellow fine powder
【Particle size】: 95% pass 80 mesh size

Licorice (Gan Cao) Extract Powder Production Flowchart
Licorice (Gan Cao) raw materials – natural air drying–Coarse powder(40 mesh) -Low temperature water extraction – 1^st Reflux Extraction(10 times water,2 Hrs) – 2^nd Reflux Extraction8 times water,1.5 Hrs) – 3rd Reflux Extraction(6 times water,1 Hrs) – Extraction Solution-combine&Filtrate-Concentrate-Extractum-spray drying – screening – packaging – detection of physical and chemical indicators – warehousing
Specification Sheet of Licorice (Gan Cao) Extract Powder

Extended Reading
Licorice (Gan Cao) Function and Efficacy Recorded in TCM
Licorice is one of the most frequently used drugs in traditional Chinese medicine clinical practice, known as the “Ten Prescriptions and Nine Herbs” and “National Elder”. This vividly illustrates its universality and important position in prescriptions. ‘Guolao’ refers to the imperial teacher, symbolizing that licorice can harmonize various medicines and relieve the toxicity of hundreds of medicines, just like a respected elder coordinating relationships among all parties.

It has a sweet and smooth nature, and is suitable for the heart, lungs, spleen, and stomach meridians. Its core function can be summarized as “tonifying the middle and tonifying qi, clearing heat and detoxifying, dispelling phlegm and cough, relieving pain, and harmonizing medicinal properties”.

1. Nourish the spleen and invigorate qi
Mechanism of action: Licorice has a sweet taste and enters the spleen and stomach meridians, which can nourish the qi of the spleen and stomach.

Indicative symptoms:
Spleen and stomach qi deficiency: manifested as fatigue of the mind, insufficient appetite, and loose stools (irregular stools). It is often combined with ginseng, Atractylodes macrocephala, and Poria cocos to form the basic formula for tonifying qi and strengthening the spleen, called “Four Gentlemen Decoction”.

Heart Qi Deficiency: manifested as palpitations (palpitations), shortness of breath, and irregular heartbeat (irregular heartbeat), often combined with raw earth, Ophiopogon japonicus, Cinnamomum cassia, and other ingredients to form the famous “Zhigancao Decoction”, which is a classic formula for treating arrhythmia.

2. Clearing heat and detoxifying
Mechanism of action: Raw licorice has a cool nature and is longer than clearing heat toxins.

Indicative symptoms:
Throat swelling and pain: It is an essential medicine for treating heat toxin throat problems. It can be consumed by soaking in water alone or combined with Platycodon grandiflorum to form “Platycodon grandiflorum soup”.

Purulent swelling and ulcer toxin: Used for skin infections and ulcers caused by various heat toxins, often used together with heat clearing and detoxifying drugs such as honeysuckle and Forsythia suspensa.

Drug or food poisoning: commonly used to alleviate the toxicity of drugs (such as Aconitum and Aconitum) or food poisoning.

3. Dispelling phlegm and stopping cough
Mechanism of action: Licorice can moisten the lungs and eliminate phlegm. It can be used in combination with cough caused by external factors and internal injuries, regardless of whether it is cold, heat, deficiency or excess.

Indicative symptoms:
Coughing and phlegm accumulation: often combined with other cough and phlegm reducing drugs, such as “Ma Huang Tang” to help Ma Huang and almond relieve asthma and cough; Assist Pinellia ternata and Chenpi in resolving phlegm in “Er Chen Tang”.

4. Mild pain relief
Mechanism of action: Licorice has a sweet taste, which can slow down and relieve acute pain in the body, especially the spasm of visceral smooth muscles.

Indicative symptoms:
Abdominal and limb spasms and acute pain: often combined with white peony to form the classic “Shao Yao Gan Cao Tang”. This is a perfect match for relieving pain in a slow and urgent manner. Modern pharmacology has confirmed its excellent antispasmodic and analgesic effects, and it is commonly used to treat stomach spasms, intestinal colic, trigeminal neuralgia, gastrocnemius muscle spasms (leg cramps), etc.

5. Harmonize medicinal properties
Mechanism of action: This is a concentrated manifestation of the “national old man” status of licorice.

Harmonious drug properties: can alleviate the strong or adverse reactions of certain drugs. In the “Tiaowei Chengqi Tang”, the strong nature of rhubarb and saltpeter can be alleviated, allowing them to flow down without harming the righteous qi.

Coordinating Cold and Heat: In formulas that combine cold and heat, it plays a coordinating and connecting role.

Reduce toxicity: It can alleviate or slow down the toxicity of certain drugs (such as Aconitum and Aconitum). Modern research has also confirmed its detoxifying effect.

Modern Pharmacological Effects of Licorice (Gan Cao)
The main active ingredients of licorice include:
|Triterpenoid saponins: Glycyrrhizin (a combination of glycyrrhetinic acid and two molecules of glucuronic acid, hydrolyzed to produce glycyrrhetinic acid), glycyrrhetinic saponins, etc.
Flavonoids: Glycyrrhizin, Isoglycyrrhizin, Glycyrrhizin, Isoglycyrrhizin, etc.
Polysaccharides: Glycyrrhiza polysaccharides.
These components together constitute the broad pharmacological activity basis of licorice:

1. Corticosteroid like effects in the adrenal cortex
This is one of the most famous and important pharmacological effects of licorice.

Function: Glycyrrhizin and glycyrrhetinic acid can exhibit effects similar to glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids.

Corticosteroid like effects: It has anti-inflammatory, anti allergic, and antiviral effects.

Corticosteroid like effects: can promote the reabsorption of sodium ions and water by renal tubules, while excreting potassium. Long term or excessive use can cause “pseudo aldosteronism”, leading to edema, hypertension, and hypokalemia.

Related traditional efficacy: This section explains its effects of “tonifying qi” and “harmonizing medicinal properties, relieving drug potency”, as hormone like effects can enhance the body’s stress response and anti-inflammatory effects.

2. Anti inflammatory and anti allergic effects
Function: Licorice preparations and glycyrrhetinic acid components have significant inhibitory effects on various inflammatory models, such as carrageenan induced paw swelling in rats.

Mechanism:
Simulate the anti-inflammatory effect of glucocorticoids.

Inhibit the production and release of inflammatory mediators, such as prostaglandins and leukotrienes.

Stabilize cell membranes, especially lysosomal membranes, and reduce the release of inflammatory factors.

Related traditional efficacy: This is the scientific basis for its “clearing heat and detoxifying” function, treating sore throat, abscess and toxin.

3. Digestive system function
Anti peptic ulcer: Licorice (especially licorice extract and licorice zinc) is an effective drug for treating peptic ulcers.

Mechanism: Inhibit gastric acid secretion; Promote gastric mucosal secretion and protect gastric mucosa; Promote ulcer healing.

Spasmodic: Licorice flavonoids have a relaxing effect on intestinal smooth muscle and can alleviate spasms.

Related traditional efficacy: This corresponds perfectly to the efficacy of “relieving pain and relieving pain” in treating epigastric spasms and acute pain, often in synergy with Paeonia lactiflora (Paeonia lactiflora and Glycyrrhiza uralensis Decoction).

4. Detoxification effect
Function: Licorice has a certain detoxification ability against various drug poisoning (such as aconitine, mushroom, pufferfish toxin), food poisoning, and metabolic product poisoning.

Mechanism:
Adsorption effect: Glucuronic acid generated after hydrolysis of glycyrrhizin can bind with toxins to form water-soluble substances that are excreted with urine.

Inducing hepatic drug enzymes: enhancing the detoxification function of the liver.

Corticosteroid like effect: enhances the body’s tolerance to toxins.

Related traditional efficacy: directly confirms the traditional saying of “relieving the toxicity of hundreds of medicines”.

5. Antitussive and expectorant effects
Cough suppression: After oral administration, licorice can cover the inflamed pharyngeal mucosa, alleviate inflammatory stimulation, and thus have a protective cough suppression effect. The central cough suppressing effect of glycyrrhetinic acid is also evident.

Expectorant: Licorice can promote mucus secretion in the throat and bronchi, making phlegm thinner and easier to cough up.

Related traditional efficacy: This is a modern interpretation of its “expectorant and cough relieving” effect.

6. Antiviral and immunomodulatory effects
Anti virus: Glycyrrhizin has inhibitory effect on many viruses, including HIV, SARS coronavirus, herpesvirus, influenza virus, hepatitis virus, etc. The mechanism may be related to inhibiting virus replication and preventing virus adsorption to cells.

Immune regulation: Glycyrrhiza polysaccharides can enhance non-specific immune function in the body (such as promoting macrophage phagocytosis). At the same time, glycyrrhetinic acid components can also inhibit the production of antibodies, playing an immunosuppressive role, reflecting the characteristic of “bidirectional regulation”.

7. Antitumor effect
Studies have shown that flavonoids and triterpenoids from glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch can inhibit proliferation, induce apoptosis and differentiation of various cancer cells (such as liver cancer, gastric cancer, cervical cancer, breast cancer). But currently, it is mostly in the experimental research stage.

8. Liver protective effect
Glycyrrhetinic acid preparations (such as diammonium glycyrrhizinate) are commonly used liver protective drugs in clinical practice, which can significantly reduce liver cell degeneration and necrosis, protect liver cell membranes, reduce transaminases, and are used to treat chronic hepatitis.