Liquorice has been used in medicine for many years, originally as a sweetening agent, but its efficacy was not fully realized until Revers (1946, 1958) found that peptic ulcers healed rapidly with its extract. However, oedema, heartburn, congestive cardiac failure, and headaches were commonly encountered as side effects of the crude extract. Molhuysen, Gerbrandy, de Vries, de Jong, Renstia, Tur...

A 38 year old female office worker was admitted with a newly discovered blood pressure of 250/110 mm Hg. Evaluation for secondary forms of hypertension was negative and treatment was begun. Sodium excretion was markedly reduced, plasma aldosterone was normal, and plasma renin activity was low. Therefore, presence of an aldosterone-like activity was suspected. Eventually, the patient confessed t...

Nitrofurantoin and nitrofurantoin with liquorice were given to healthy volunteers and patients suffering from urinary tract infections. The excretion rates of the drug, colony counts and side effects were studied in patients and excretion rates in the volunteers. The excretion rates of the drug were significantly higher in patients receiving the drug with liquorice and also side effects were mi...

A 33-year-old patient with hypokalaemia associated with severe myopathy following liquorice ingestion is described. Potassium depletion was confirmed by total body potassium measurements and myopathy was established by electromyography and enzyme studies. The potential hazard of chronic liquorice consumption even as a sweet is illustrated by this case.

In the past twenty years evidence has accumulated that liquorice and related compounds accelerate the rate of healing of gastric ulcers. Powdered succus liquiritiae (Revers, 1948) and glycyrrhiza extract (Schulze, Franke, and Keller, 1954; Ferenbach, 1954; Ohrt, 1955) were shown to be beneficial in patients with gastric ulcer but adequately controlled clinical trials of liquorice extracts were ...

Five pentacyclic triterpenoids have been isolated from the minor constituents of local liquorice roots, one of them has not been isolated before from liquorice root. Their structural formulae and stereochemical configuration was determined by spectroscopic methods. 13C and 1H NMR data have been compiled.

Hypokalaemic hypertension is the classical presentation of primary hyperaldosteronism but may also result from other mineralocorticoid activity, such as liquorice ingestion. Onset of hypertension as well as serum renin and aldosterone levels are central for the diagnosis. Liquorice ingestion has been reported to induce hypertension, hypokalaemia and metabolic alkalosis due to inhibition of the ...

The effect of confectionery liquorice on electrolyte status and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone (RAA) axis was studied in 14 healthy volunteers. They ate liquorice in daily doses of 100 g or 200 g (equivalent to 0-7-1-4 g glycyrrhizinic acid) for one to four weeks. Plasma potassium concentrations fell by over 0-3 mmol/l in 11 people, including four who had to be withdrawn from the study becau...

The authors report an 85-year-old patient admitted because of cognitive impairment. During examination hypertension and hypokalaemia were found. After some time it was discovered that the patient was eating too much liquorice. The case demonstrates that liquorice intoxication should be considered as a cause of hypertension in old age. Furthermore the case demonstrates that missing an intoxicati...