Aim for production of Glycyrrhizae Radix in Japan (3): development of a new licorice cultivar

• Published in: Journal of natural medicines Vol. 68; no. 2; pp. 358 - 362
• Main Authors: Ozaki, Kazuo, Shibano, Makio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo Springer-Verlag 01.04.2014; Springer Japan
• Subjects: aerial parts; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Complementary & Alternative Medicine; crossing; cultivars; flavonoids; Flavonoids - analysis; Glycyrrhiza uralensis - anatomy & histology; Glycyrrhiza uralensis - chemistry; Glycyrrhiza uralensis - growth & development; Glycyrrhizic Acid - analysis; glycyrrhizin; Japan; licorice; Medicinal Chemistry; Original Paper; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Pharmacy; Plant Roots - chemistry; Plant Sciences; underground parts; Japan; Total flavonoid content; Plastic tube; Glycyrrhizin content; Cultivar
• ISSN: 1340-3443; 1861-0293
• DOI: 10.1007/s11418-013-0807-7

The development of cultivars is indispensable for the establishment of a method aimed at producing licorice in Japan. The cultivar should have the following attributes: (1) the underground parts should grow vigorously; (2) the glycyrrhizin (GL) content must be 2.5 % or greater; and (3) the architecture of the aerial parts should be erect. A new cultivar suitable for the domestic production of licorice was developed by crossbreeding between strain A-19 (with a high GL content) as the mother and strain G-6 (with vigorous growth) as the father. After 2 years of cultivation, strain C-2 exhibited vigorous growth; the fresh weight and stem diameter were 148.8 g and 0.89 mm, respectively. Moreover, the dry-weight GL and total flavonoid contents of the new cultivar (strain C-2) from cultured plants were 3.61 and 1.365 %, respectively.