Effects of ultrasound on extraction of glycyrrhizin from Glycyrrhiza glabra L. in comparison with modified Rosen's method

Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (Licorice) is a perennial shrub growing in Mediterranean region and Asia and is widespread in Turkey, Italy and specially Iran. Licorice is a favorable herb used in food and medicinal remedies for thousands of years. This herb contains a variety of substances, among which glycyrrhizin is the most effective substance, giving a sweet taste to the root (30 to 50 times sweeter than sucrose). The roots of the study species were collected from the Kurdistan Agricultural Research and Education Center. All samples were dried and then powdered to extract the glycyrrhizin with different methods including modified Rosen, pre ultrasonic and post ultrasonic methods at 30 and 60 minutes, ultrasound frequencies of 35 and 100 kHz and a constant temperature of 60⁰C. The results showed that there were significant differences among the study treatments (P