Total phenolics, mineral contents, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of Glycyrrhiza glabra L. roots grown wild in Turkey

The total phenolic content, macro and micro elements (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu), antioxidant and antibacterial activities of roots of wild grown Glycyrrhiza glabra are reported. The amount of total phenolics was 12.88 mu gGAF-/mg DW in Glycyrrhiza glabra roots. The average N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, Na and Cu composition in licorice roots was 2.80%, 175 mg/100 g, 1400 mg/100 g, 147 mg/100 g, 120 mg/100 g, 20 mg/100 g, 6 mg/100 g, 4.4 mg/100 g, 2.1 mg/100 g and 0.1 mg/100 g, respectively. The highest antioxidant activity of root extract was 88.7% at a concentration of 800 mu g/mL. The methanol extracts of the roots showed antibacterial activities against Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilus and Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato, but none of the water extracts of Glycyrrhiza glabra roots showed any antibacterial activity against the these microorganisms.