Utilization of Glycyrrhizin and Licorice Extract as Natural Sweetener in Some Food Products and Biological Impacts

Abstract

Replacing sucrose with safe natural intense sweeteners has importance in health concerns as a way to produce healthy foods with low caloric value. The present study has been carried out to utilize glycyrrhizin and licorice extract (LE) from Glycyrrhiza glabra L as a substitute of sucrose for sweetening toffee and cake preparation. Sensory attributes of the produced products (toffee and cakes) were evaluated and its biological effects on the body weight, organ relative weight, hematological and biochemical parameters and enzyme activities were studied in vivo. The results indicated that toffee prepared from replacing sugar with glycyrrhizin at 50:50 ratio (750 mg/100 g) showed the highest sensory over all acceptability scores. Replacing 25% glucose syrup with licorice extract (1.37 g /100 g) gave the higher score of sweetness, flavour, overall acceptability and absence of bitterness comparable to those prepared using increase the level of licorice extract. Cakes sweetened with 250 mg glycyrrhizin as 50% sugar replacer had no significant effect on the organoleptic properties but reduced their caloric value. We investigated biological impacts of young male rats fed with low and high doses of glycyrrhizin or licorice extract for 60 days. The results showed glycyrrhizin treated group significantly (P< 0.05) decreased feed intake with insignificant reduction in body weights gain (%) and insignificant increases in feed efficiency ratio as compared to control group but licorice extract treated group showed insignificant increase in body weight gain and feed efficiency ratio compared with the control group. Treatment with glycyrrhizin or licorice extract caused significant reduction in triglycerides (TG), with insignificant increase in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and decrease alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), and acid phosphatase (ACP) values compared to control groups. Histopathological investigation of liver and kidney tissues of glycyrrhizin treated rats showed completely normal structure with regular arrangement of cell when compared with control group.