[Research on Glycyrrhizeae Radix standard decoction]

Area of Science:

• Pharmacognosy
• Analytical Chemistry
• Traditional Chinese Medicine

Background:

• Glycyrrhizae Radix (licorice root) is a key herb in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
• Ensuring consistent quality of herbal preparations is crucial for therapeutic efficacy.
• Standardized methods are needed for quality control of Glycyrrhizae Radix dispensing granules.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a method for analyzing the quality of Glycyrrhizae Radix standard decoction.
• To determine the transfer and extract rates of key compounds: glycyrrhizic acid and liquiritin.
• To evaluate the quality consistency of multiple batches using HPLC-based chromatographic fingerprint analysis.

Main Methods:

• Preparation of fifteen batches of Glycyrrhizae Radix standard decoction.
• Determination of glycyrrhizic acid and liquiritin content.
• Calculation of transfer and extract rates.
• HPLC analysis for chromatographic fingerprinting.
• Similarity evaluation using a specialized TCM system (2012A).

Main Results:

• Transfer rates for glycyrrhizic acid ranged from 59.4% to 87.4%, and for liquiritin from 49.8% to 78.9%.
• Extract rates varied between 29.9% and 38.9%.
• Chromatographic fingerprint analysis revealed high similarity (all >0.9) among the 15 batches, indicating stable quality.
• The HPLC method demonstrated good precision, stability, and repeatability.

Conclusions:

• The standardized preparation method ensures stable quality and high batch-to-batch similarity for Glycyrrhizae Radix.
• The developed HPLC fingerprinting method is reliable for quality control of Glycyrrhizae Radix dispensing granules.
• This study provides a valuable reference for ensuring the quality and consistency of herbal medicines.