Licorice contains glycyrrhizin, saponins, asparagine, sugars, resin, bitter principles, a volatile oil, and other compounds. The main constituents of licorice are the triterpenoid saponin glycyrrhizin and a mixture of calcium and potassium salts of glycyrrhizinic acid. Other constituents include triterpenoid saponins (glabridin, glycyrrhetol, glabrolide, and isoglabrolide), isoflavones (formononetin, neoliquiritin, glabrone and hispaglabridin), triterpene sterols (onocerin, β-amyrin and stigmasterol), and coumarins (herniarin and umbelliferone). The hydrophobic fraction of licorice contains glabridin, the main ingredient, and several flavonoids, while the main constituents of the hydrophilic fraction are glycyrrhizin and glycyrrhetinic acid.
