title: Species-specific Standardisation of Licorice by Metabolomic Profiling of Flavanones and Chalcones.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Major phenolics from licorice roots (Glycyrrhiza sp.) are glycosides of the flavanone liquiritigenin (F) and its 2′-hydroxychalcone isomer, isoliquiritigenin (C). As the F and C contents fluctuate between batches of licorice, both quality control and standardisation of its preparations become complex tasks.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To characterise the F and C metabolome in extracts from Glycyrrhiza glabra L. and Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. ex DC. by addressing their composition in major F–C pairs and defining the total F:C proportion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three types of extracts from DNA-authenticated samples were analysed by a validated UHPLC/UV method to quantify major F and C glycosides. Each extract was characterised by the identity of major F–C pairs and the proportion of Fs among all quantified Fs:Cs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The F and C compositions and proportions were found to be constant for all extracts from a Glycyrrhiza species. All G. uralensis extracts contained up to 2.5 more Fs than G. glabra extracts. Major F–C pairs were B-ring glycosidated in G. uralensis, and A-/B-ring apiosyl-glucosidated in the G. glabra extracts. The F:C proportion was found to be linked to the glycosidation site: the more B-ring F-C glycosides were present, the higher was the final F:C proportion in the extract. These results enable the chemical differentiation of extracts from G. uralensis and G. glabra, which are characterised by total F:C proportions of 8.37:1.63 and 7.18:2.82, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Extracts from G. glabra and G. uralensis can be differentiated by their respective F and C compositions and proportions, which are both useful for further standardisation of licorice botanicals.
authors: Charlotte
authors: C
authors: Simmler
authors: Tristesse
authors: T
authors: Jones
authors: Jeffrey R
authors: JR
authors: Anderson
authors: Dejan C
authors: DC
authors: Nikolić
authors: Richard B
authors: RB
authors: van Breemen
authors: Djaja D
authors: DD
authors: Soejarto
authors: Shao-Nong
authors: SN
authors: Chen
authors: Guido F
authors: GF
authors: Pauli
mesh_terms: D047188:Chalcones / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D044950:Flavanones / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D006035:Glycyrrhiza / Q000145:classification* / Q000378:metabolism; D055442:Metabolome; D012015:Reference Standards
chemical_list: D047188:Chalcones; D044950:Flavanones