Author(s):

Shaihba Firoz Ahmed, Mohd Sajid, Wasim Ahmad, Fahmeeda Zeenat and Mohammad Shakir

Abstract: The roots of a plant Glycyrrhiza glabra Linn constitute an important drug in the ancient Unani literature, commonly known as Mulethi or Aslus Soos or liquorice. It is one of the most widely used plants from the ancient medical history, both as a medicine and as a flavouring herb. Historically, liquorice has been used from more than 4000 years. The drug was also mentioned by Theophrastus and Dioscorides. It is interesting to find that it maintains even today its role in medicine and pharmacy. The plant is well suited to warm climatic conditions with long growing session. It grows best on sandy loam soils. The light soils promote better root development. Glycyrrhiza glabra Linn is a hardy herb or undershrub and a tall perennial plant attaining a height of 1.8 mt. The roots are sweet in taste, thick, having many branches with red or lemon color outside or yellowish or pale yellow inside. The underground part in some varieties consists of a rootstock with a number of long, branched stem, in others, the rootstock which is stout, throws off a large number of perennial roots. It is used for allaying coughs and catarrhal affections. It is also useful in irritable conditions of the mucous membranes of urinary organs. Its extract is a constituent of cough syrups, throat lozenges and pastilles and it is employed in the form of aromatic syrups and elixirs for masking the taste of nauseous medicines. The extract is reported to exert a healing effect on gastric ulcers, is also reported to be useful in treatment of Addison’s disease. Externally liquorice is applied with ghee and honey for cuts and wounds. Keeping in view the high medicinal importance of the drug in Unani Medicine, the present review provides available information on traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of the Unani drug Mulethi.

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