The nature and use of glycyrrhizic acid Licorice is the root of leguminous plants, mainly produced in Mongolia, Shanxi, Gansu, Ningxia and Xinjiang. Licorice is sweet, so it is also known as sweet grass and honey grass. There are four main chemical components: triterpenoids, flavonoids, alkaloids and polysaccharides. Among them, the triterpenoids include glycyrrhizic acid and hydroxyglycyrrhetinic acid. monoammonium glycyrrhizinate is also known as glycyrrhizin. It is white crystal, crystallized with glacial acetic acid, and has a strong sweet taste. The molecular formula is C42H62O16 and the molecular weight is 822.90. The pure product is a white, odorless crystalline powder. Its melting point is 212 ℃ ~ 217 ℃, soluble in hot water and hot dilute ethanol, almost insoluble in anhydrous ethanol or ether. Glycyrrhizic acid is often present in plants in the form of calcium, potassium, ammonium salts, and the like. The ammonium salt extracted from the licorice extract prepared ...