Exploring the Health "Guardian" of Licorice Extract Anti-inflammatory and Antibacterial Properties
Publish Time: 2025-12-10
In the treasure trove of natural plant active ingredients, licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis) is hailed as a "national elder"—not only for its special role in harmonizing various herbs in traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions, but also for its rich content of bioactive substances. The dry powder extract refined from the dried rhizome of licorice, with its outstanding anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, and soothing repair effects, is becoming a highly sought-after natural functional ingredient in the food, cosmetics, health products, and even pharmaceutical fields.1. Core Active Ingredient: Synergistic Effect of Glycyrrhizic Acid and FlavonoidsLicorice extract Its main efficacy stems from two main classes of active substances: triterpenoid saponins and flavonoids. Glycyrrhizic acid, with a structure similar to human adrenocortical hormones, significantly inhibits the release of inflammatory mediators, thus exerting a potent anti-inflammatory effect without the side effects of hormonal drugs. Glycyrrhizin flavonoids exhibit broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, inhibiting common pathogenic microorganisms such as Staphylococcus aureus, Propionibacterium acnes, and Candida albicans, while also possessing antioxidant properties that scavenge free radicals and delay cellular oxidative damage. These two types of components complement each other, forming a multi-dimensional protective network of "anti-inflammatory + antibacterial + repair."2. Wide Range of Applications: Comprehensive Protection from Oral to Topical UseThanks to its gentle, highly effective, and safe characteristics, licorice... Extract powders are finding stellar performance across multiple health sectors:Skincare: Widely used in sensitive skin repair serums, acne treatments, and after-sun creams to quickly relieve redness, stinging, and itching, and enhance the skin barrier function;Oral care: Added to toothpaste or mouthwash to inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria in the mouth, reducing gum swelling and bad breath;Functional foods and health supplements: As a natural sweetener and stomach-protecting ingredient, it helps relieve gastric mucosal inflammation and improve digestive discomfort;Traditional Chinese medicine preparations: Commonly used in compound prescriptions to treat sore throat, cough with phlegm, eczema, and itching, demonstrating its "heat-clearing and detoxifying" properties. It possesses the classic efficacy of "relieving toxicity, alleviating pain, and relieving spasms."3. High-purity dry powder process: ensuring activity and stabilityThis product utilizes modern extraction technology, combining water extraction or alcohol extraction with macroporous resin purification, followed by spray drying to produce a free-flowing, brownish-yellow to light brown dry powder. This process not only effectively enriches glycyrrhizic acid and total flavonoids but also removes impurities and bitter components, improving taste and compatibility. The dry powder form facilitates storage and transportation, has good solubility, and can be directly compounded into various dosage forms such as emulsions, gels, tablets, and granules, meeting the needs of industrial production.4. Natural and safe, aligning with the trend of green consumptionlicorice Licorice extract is plant-based, antibiotic-free, hormone-free, and free of synthetic preservatives, meeting increasingly stringent global "clean label" requirements. Multiple toxicological studies have confirmed its good safety profile at recommended dosages. In today's world where consumers increasingly value ingredient transparency and natural health, licorice extract has become an ideal alternative to chemical additives.With its "multi-functional, gentle, and reliable" characteristics, licorice extract successfully bridges the boundaries between traditional and modern, internal and external applications. As an unassuming yet all-around health "guardian," it not only protects the skin's stability but also nurtures the body's internal balance. With the deepening research and development of natural active ingredients, licorice extract will undoubtedly continue to unleash its unique value in the health industry, providing solid support for the pursuit of a safe, effective, and sustainable healthy lifestyle.
