Glycyrrhiza Glabra (family Fabaceae), commonly known as licorice, is an herbaceous perennial and has been used as a flavoring agent in foods and medicinal remedies for thousands of years. Licorice root has been widely used around the world to treat cough since ancient times. It contains active compounds, including glycyrrhizin, glycyrrhetinic acid, flavonoids, isoflavonoids, and chalcones. Glycyrrhizin and glycyrrhetinic acid are considered to be the main active components and are potent inhibitors of cortisol metabolism, due to their steroid-like structures.
