Glycyrrhizic Acid

We are engaged in exporting excellent quality Glycyrrhizic Acid in Xian, Shaanxi, China. Glycyrrhizic acid is the active principle of liquorice root. Glycyrrhizic acid is a powerful sweetener, 3050 times as potent as sucrose (table sugar).
Chemically, glycyrrhizic acid is a triterpenoid saponin glycoside being either the Ca2+ or K+ salt of glycyrrhizic (or glycyrrhizinic) acid. Upon hydrolysis, the glycoside loses its sweet taste and is converted to the aglycone glycyrrhetinic acid plus two molecules of glucuronic acid. The glycyrrhizic acid form is not particularly water soluble, but its ammonium salt is soluble in water at pH greater than 4.5.
Although sweet, the taste of glycyrrhizic acid is different from that of sugar. The sweetness of glycyrrhizic acid has a slower onset than sugar, and lingers in the mouth for some time. Additionally, its characteristic licorice flavor makes it unsuitable as a direct flavor substitute for sugar. Unlike the artificial sweetener aspartame, glycyrrhizic acid maintains its sweetness under heating.