A bibliometric assessment of liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) research trends

The extract from the root of the liquorice plant contains Glycyrrhizin, a sweet-tasting constituent. The root is used for flavoring foods, beverages, and tobacco. The objective of this paper is to assess the research output on liquorice. It also used by the pharmaceutical industry to prepare medicines. The bibliographic data on liquorice published from 1993 to 2012 and indexed in Scopus have been considered for the data analysis. The data retrieved from Scopus were analyzed for publication type, languages, country, key journals, productive authors, subject categories, and the frequency of keywords used in this area of research. There were 3161 articles indexed in Scopus. Japan has produced most research literature on glycyrrhizin which is being given intravenously in Japan for the treatment of hepatitis C and as an emulsifier and gel-forming agent in food stuff and cosmetics