What is Mulethi?

About Mulethi:

Mulethi, commonly known as licorice, is a sweet-tasting perennial shrub.
Scientific name: Glycyrrhiza glabra
The roots have a sweet taste due to the presence of glycyrrhizin, which is 50 times sweeter than sucrose.
It has been traditionally known and used as medicine in Ayurveda (known in Ayurveda as ‘Yashtimadhu’) for rejuvenation.
Uses of Mulethi:
Herbal medicines use Mulethi for its natural sweetness.
It is also used in traditional medicines against chest and lung diseases.
It is used to flavor candies, tobacco, and alcohol, artificial and natural sweeteners.
Health Benefits of Mulethi:
It has anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-bacterial properties.
It is known to boost immunity due to the increase in the production of macrophage and lymphocytes.
Mulethi herb can treat asthma, cough, cold, sore throat, and other respiratory ailments.
It helps in weight loss as it contains flavonoids that help to reduce excessive fats accumulated in the body.
It helps improve the digestive system, lessens the acidic level in the intestines, and also helps to detox our body.
Distribution:
The plant thrives in a dry and sunny climate and is cultivated in subtropical and warm temperate regions.
Countries producing licorice include Iran, Afghanistan, China, Pakistan, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Turkey.
It is also cultivated in Punjab and Sub Himalayan tracts in India.

Q1) What is glycyrrhizin ?

Glycyrrhizin is a saponin-like compound that provides the main sweet flavor for Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice), with potential immunomodulating, anti-inflammatory, hepato- and neuro-protective, and antineoplastic activities.

Source: Himachal Pradesh to become first state in India to have organised cultivation of Mulethi