Measurement and comparison of glycyrrhizic acid contents in root of licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis

The samples of licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch.) from 14 different cultivated areas were determined by the method of high Performance Capillary Electrophoresis (HPCE) for the contents of glycyrrihizic acid (GA) in root. The results showed that the licorice plants come from various cultivated areas of China has different contents of GA. The GA content of licorice from Zhaodong in Heilongjiang Province is the highest, followed by those from E'tuoke, Chifeng, and Hangjin Banner in Inner Mongolia. Some suggestions for establishing the production base of licorice were put forward based on the study.