Licorice Extract 20% Glycyrrhizic Acid

Licorice extract starts from the dried root and rhizome of Glycyrrhiza uralensis, the Chinese licorice, and not from the leaves or from the deglycyrrhizinated material sold as a separate ingredient. Ethanol extraction concentrates the triterpenoid saponin fraction, and the liquor is dried to a yellow-brown powder with a persistent sweet taste.

The grade is 20% glycyrrhizic acid by HPLC. The powder is 80 mesh and slightly soluble in water. It is meant for capsules, tablets, lozenge bases and dry blends in which the sweet, foaming saponin has to be quantified and kept within a defined range.

SKU: BOT-STX-0071 Category: Standardized Extracts Tags: Ethanol Extracted, Gummies & Chews, Licorice, Root & Rhizome, Saponins, Standardized Extracts

Glycyrrhizic Acid Standardization & Grades

Glycyrrhizic acid, also written glycyrrhizin, is the sweet principle of licorice: a triterpenoid saponin made of one glycyrrhetinic acid unit carrying two glucuronic acid units. It is the standardization target because it defines both the taste and the saponin character of the root and is resolved cleanly by HPLC. The botanical entity is Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. ex DC., and the part used is the root with its rhizome.

The page carries one grade, so the choice is about format. At 20%, glycyrrhizic acid is the dominant single compound of the powder, while the remainder includes flavonoids such as liquiritin and isoliquiritigenin, polysaccharides and minor saponins. Sibling products from the same genus are the unstandardized Licorice Root Extract Powder, the milled Licorice Root Powder and the aglycone 18-Alpha-Glycyrrhetinic Acid 98%, which is produced from the saponin by removing its sugars.

A deglycyrrhizinated licorice material has most of the glycyrrhizin removed and is a different ingredient, so a 20% figure should never be compared with the percentage of such products. Buyers who compare licorice extract quotes should also check whether the figure is the free acid or a salt, because glycyrrhizin occurs in the plant as potassium and calcium salts and is traded as the ammonium salt.

Because intake limits for glycyrrhizin exist in several markets, the 20% figure is a design constraint for the whole formula, not just a label number. A formulator who knows the glycyrrhizic acid content per gram can plan the dose, the sweetness and the market limit in the same calculation.

Glycyrrhizic Acid Analysis & Purity Risks

The marker is measured by HPLC. The column separates glycyrrhizic acid from the related glycosides and from glycyrrhetinic acid, the peak is identified by retention time and UV spectrum, and it is quantified against a reference standard. A gravimetric or total saponin figure counts foaming compounds of every kind and cannot be converted into an HPLC glycyrrhizic acid result.

The fingerprint of the root is led by glycyrrhizic acid, with liquiritin and its apioside and a group of flavonoid aglycones appearing in the same run. Glycyrrhizin hydrolyzes in strong acid and under enzymes, losing its sugar units and leaving the aglycone. A lot with a large glycyrrhetinic acid peak and a small glycyrrhizin peak has been exposed to harsh processing.

Sample preparation uses a water and alcohol mixture, sonication to release the saponin from the root matrix and filtration before injection. Saponins foam strongly, so solutions are mixed gently and not vortexed.

The pH of the sample solution also matters. Glycyrrhizic acid is a weak acid, and its retention on a reversed-phase column shifts with the pH of the mobile phase. A method that does not control pH tightly can give drifting peak positions and unreliable integration. A licorice extract result is therefore only as good as the pH control behind it, and a validated method with a bracketing standard is the sensible basis for release.

Purity risks follow from the botany. Three species of licorice, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Glycyrrhiza glabra and Glycyrrhiza inflata, share the common name and differ in their flavonoid profiles, so a species name matters for identity. Roots of unrelated plants with sweet taste are not licorice, and a high sweetness reading from artificial sweetener added to a powder would not be detected by glycyrrhizin HPLC alone.

Typical Specifications

Specification Item	Product Information
Latin Name	Glycyrrhiza uralensis
Plant Part	Root & Rhizome
Processing	Ethanol Extraction
Compound Class	Saponins
Common Name	Licorice, Chinese Licorice, Licorice Root
Ingredient Type	Standardized Extract
Marker Compound(s)	Glycyrrhizic acid (triterpenoid saponin of Glycyrrhiza uralensis root)
Primary Grade	20% Glycyrrhizic Acid (HPLC)
Appearance	Yellow-Brown powder
Solubility / Dispersibility	Slightly Soluble in Water
Quality Parameters
Moisture (LOD)	≤5.0%
Total Ash	≤5.0%
Particle Size	80 mesh
Heavy Metals	Lead ≤2 ppm · Arsenic ≤1 ppm · Cadmium ≤1 ppm · Mercury ≤0.1 ppm
Microbiology	TPC ≤1,000 cfu/g · Yeast & Mold ≤100 cfu/g · E. coli Negative · Salmonella Negative/25 g
Shelf Life	24 months in unopened original packaging, cool and dry storage

Applications by Grade

20% Grade for Capsule Fills

The single 20% grade is dosed by weight in capsules, where the sweet taste is hidden by the shell. The yellow-brown powder is hygroscopic and sticky, so a dry filling room and a flow agent keep the hopper feeding evenly, and fill weight should be checked at the start of each run.

Chewable Tablet and Lozenge Bases

The saponin is intensely sweet and lingers, so licorice extract can partly replace sugar in chewable tablets and lozenge bases. Dose it carefully and balance it with mint or menthol, because the sweetness is slow to build and slow to fade.

Dry Tea Blends

In herbal tea blends, a small amount of the extract sweetens the cup and rounds the bitterness of other roots. The slight solubility leaves a faint haze, and the dose is limited by the lasting sweet-bitter aftertaste, which dominates quickly at higher weights.

Powder Sticks With Herbal Flavors

Sticks combine the grade with citrus, ginger or mint powders in a flavored base. Because glycyrrhizic acid foams on stirring, use a gentle mix and add an anti-foam carrier if the stick is dissolved in a bottle shaken before drinking.

Tablet Blends With Root Extracts

Tablets of the grade combine with other root extracts and a dry binder. The saponin attracts moisture and softens compacts, so keep the room dry, run a compression trial on the full blend and check hardness after storage before the first production batch.

Technical & Quality Considerations

The extract is a yellow-brown powder with a sweet, slightly bitter taste and a characteristic earthy odor. It is slightly soluble in water, so a solution looks cloudy and tan, and strong stirring produces a stable foam because the saponin lowers surface tension. Glycyrrhizic acid dissolves better in warm water than in cold, and it can gel at high concentration in acid.

Acid and heat cleave the sugar units from the saponin, which lowers sweetness and changes the chromatogram, so long holds below pH 3 should be avoided. The saponin binds to proteins and can form turbid complexes with them in acidic beverages. At production scale, add the powder to the blender in a pre-mix with the sugar or bulking agent, which keeps the sticky, sweet particles from clumping, and verify uniformity on the first batch.

Sweetness is the main sensory constraint of this licorice extract. A little goes far, and the aftertaste outlasts most flavors, so run a taste trial on the finished blend before fixing the dose. Keep the drum closed and dry, because the powder cakes in humid rooms, and clean equipment well between licorice and neutral products to avoid carryover of the lingering flavor.

Packaging & Commercial Supply

Essencefield supports product evaluation, formulation trials, commercial orders, and ongoing ingredient supply. Packaging, storage, and shipping arrangements are determined by product characteristics, order quantity, stability requirements, and destination-market needs.

Supply Item	General Information
Sample	Available upon request for formulation, testing, and supplier evaluation
Order Quantities	100 g · 1 kg · 5 kg · 25 kg · 100 kg · 500 kg · Bulk
Sample Lead Time	Typically 5–7 days after sample confirmation
Production Lead Time	Typically 15–30 days after order and specification confirmation
Packaging	Suitable protective inner packaging with bags, cartons, drums, or other appropriate outer packaging
Storage	Store in tightly sealed, suitable protective packaging in a cool, dry environment. Protect from moisture, heat, and direct sunlight. Specific storage conditions follow the approved product specification.
Documentation	COA · Product Specification · TDS · SDS · Applicable declarations (as applicable)

Final order quantities, lead times, packaging, documentation, and shipping arrangements are confirmed according to the selected product and commercial requirements.