Enhanced co-extraction of glycyrrhizic acid and glabridin from Glycyrrhiza glabra L. through enzyme-focused techniques

Glycyrrhizic acid (GA) and glabridin (GD) are very important sweeteners and whitening agents present in Glycyrrhiza glabra L. This study investigates the cellulase and pectinase produced by endophytes in G. glabra to optimize and enhance the extraction of GA and GD from licorice using enzyme-assisted extraction (EAE) and microbial co-culture-assisted extraction (MCAE) approaches. Twelve strains with cellulase and pectinase activities were isolated from G. glabra. Notably, the strain G1–5, preliminarily identified as Penicillium sp., demonstrated superior performance in enzyme production and extraction efficiency of GA. Compared to the traditional extraction methods, the EAE process showed an obvious improvement of 32.21% and 56.37% in GA and GD extraction rates, respectively. Similarly, the MCAE process with the enzyme-producing strain G1–5 exhibited an increase of 25.52% and 38.45% in GA and GD extraction rates, respectively. These findings provide valuable guidance and innovative strategies for the extraction of active ingredients.