Determination and Comparison of Bioactive Compounds in Different Parts of Glycyrrhiza Species

Glycyrrhiza spp., one of the most widely used herbal medicine for centuries in the world, contain a large number of bioactive such as triterpene saponins and flavonoids which are the main constituents and show broad biological activity. The present study aimed to evaluate the phytochemical profile of extracts from different parts (roots, stems and leaves) of all wild Glycyrrhiza spp. grown in Turkey and to reveal that other parts besides the roots are a rich source of bioactive compounds with potential use in the pharmaceutical and food industries. For this purpose, extracted bioactive compounds from different parts of five Glycyrrhiza spp. collected in different provinces of Turkey were determined and compared. The microwave-assisted extraction method, which is mentioned as a green technique and requires low solvent and extraction time, was applied. Determination of bioactives was performed using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS). Among the collected Glycyrrhiza spp.; in leaf parts, the highest glycyrrhizin (GL) (2.05±0.07 mg g-1) and glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) (0.107±0.005 mg g-1) contents were found in Glycyrrhiza flavescens ssp. flavescens; the highest carbenoxolone (CBX) (0.133±0.006 mg g-1) and liquiritin (LQ) (1.644±0.014mg g-1) contents were in Glycyrrhiza glabra grown in Polatlı. In stem parts, the highest GL (2.735±0.04 mg g-1), CBX (0.069±0.004 mg g-1) and LQ (0.602±0.010 mg g-1) contents were determined in G. glabra plant growing in Ankara. In root parts, the highest GL (14.68±0.09 mg g-1) and LQ (9.735±0.046 mg g-1) contents were detected in G. glabra plant growing in Gaziantep while the highest GA (0.136±0.005 mg g-1) and CBX (0.188±0.067 mg g-1) contents in Glycyrrhiza flavescens ssp. antalyensis. Thus, it was determined which location in Turkey and which parts of Glycyrrhiza spp. that grow wild in Turkey can be used as a priority for the food and pharmaceutical industry with this study.