Natural Remedies Supports ABC’s Adopt-an-Herb Program through Licorice Adoption
AUSTIN, Texas (January
16, 2019) — The American Botanical Council (ABC) announces
the adoption of licorice (Glycyrrhiza spp.,
Fabaceae) by Natural Remedies, an herbal products research and development
company, through ABC’s Adopt-an-Herb program. With its adoption of licorice, Natural
Remedies helps ABC expand its nonprofit educational mission and keep its unique
HerbMedPro database updated with the latest scientific and clinical research on
this popular botanical.
HerbMedPro is a
comprehensive, interactive online database that provides access to important
scientific and clinical research data on the uses and health effects of 266 herbs.
Natural
Remedies CEO and Managing Director Anurag Agarwal said: “We are proud of being
associated with the American Botanical Council for adopting licorice. Our
brand, Gutgard®, is a clinically researched flavonoid-rich extract
of licorice root and rhizome. This partnership stems from our core value of
‘being useful,’ as we want the world to recognize, through this adoption, the
benefits of licorice in improving gut health. We are committed to unveiling the
mystery of licorice with focused research which will ultimately strengthen the
value offered by Gutgard to our customers.”
Mark
Blumenthal, ABC founder and executive director, said: “On behalf of all of us
here at ABC, we offer our profound thanks and gratitude to our good friends at
Natural Remedies in Bengaluru for their adoption of licorice, a widely-used
medicinal plant with a vast array of traditional and modern therapeutic uses.
Natural Remedies’ adoption of licorice allows ABC to share up-to-date
information on this ancient natural remedy with our members and the public.”
About Licorice
Licorice species
are perennial herbs native to the Mediterranean region, Asia Minor to Iran, and
central to southern Russia, and is widely cultivated throughout Europe, the Middle
East, and Asia. The root is the primary plant part used in medicinal
preparations. Medicinal use of licorice has been documented as far back as 2100
BCE, and licorice root preparations have been used in traditional medicinal systems,
including Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, and traditional Chinese medicine. In modern
times, licorice root has been studied for its gastrointestinal benefits,
particularly for ulcers; upper respiratory tract infections; and
anti-inflammatory actions that may help treat allergic reactions, rheumatism,
arthritis, and
other conditions.
The root of G. glabra has a long history of traditional therapeutic use for treating digestive issues. Glycyrrhizin (also called glycyrrhizic acid), a triterpene saponin from licorice, is one of the herb’s well-known active constituents and the main sweet-tasting component.
Gutgard is an innovative, natural, clinically-researched bioactive preparation for gut health. It is different from deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) with respect to chemistry and composition, the manufacturing process, mechanisms of action, and physicochemical properties. Most of the generic DGL-based extracts are byproducts of a chemical process used to separate glycyrrhizin from licorice.
Gutgard is standardized to contain 10% or more of total flavonoids (by weight) and 0.5% or less of glycyrrhizin to avoid potential undesirable side effects. More than 50 flavonoids have been identified in the extract by analytical techniques like liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), including isoflavans (e.g., glabridin), flavones (e.g., licoflavone A), flavanones (e.g., glabrol), chalcones (e.g., isoliquiritigenin), and isoflavones (e.g., formononetin).
Licorice flavonoids
have been shown to have beneficial activities related to the digestive system.
Gutgard has been shown to be beneficial in digestive issues and also in
reducing the gastric load of Helicobacter
pylori.
Licorice’s adoption
page in ABC’s HerbMedPro database can be found here; the HerbMedPro
record on licorice is available here.
About Natural
Remedies
Natural Remedies Pvt.
Ltd. is a global, research-driven, botanical health care company based in
Bengaluru, India, whose core competency lies in manufacturing standardized
herbal extracts. According to the company, its mission is to harness nature and
apply science for health and happiness. Natural Remedies’ branded products are
clinically-substantiated and scientifically-validated innovations. Known as a
leader in standardized botanical extracts, Natural Remedies has contributed to
the development of monographs on Indian botanicals in various international
pharmacopeias. The company also has been a leading producer and global supplier
of high-purity phytochemical reference standards for quality control of and
research on Indian medicinal plants.
About
Adopt-an-Herb and HerbMedPro
Natural
Remedies is one of 57 companies that have supported ABC’s educational efforts
to collect, organize, and disseminate reliable, traditional, science-based, and
clinical information on herbs, medicinal plants, and other botanical- and
fungal-based ingredients through the Adopt-an-Herb program. This program
encourages companies, organizations, and individuals to “adopt” one or more
specific herbs for inclusion and ongoing maintenance in the HerbMedPro
database. To date, 63 herbs have been adopted.
Each
adopted herb is continuously researched for new articles and studies, ensuring
that its HerbMedPro record stays current and robust. The result is an
unparalleled resource not only for researchers, health professionals, industry,
and consumers, but for all members of the herbal and dietary supplements
community.
HerbMedPro is available to
ABC members at the Academic level and higher. Its “sister” site, HerbMed, is free and available to
the general public. In keeping with ABC’s position as an independent research
and education organization, herb adopters do not influence the scientific
information that is compiled for their respective adopted herbs.