Formulation and Therapeutic Potential of Polyherbal Effervescent Tablets Containing Glycyrrhiza glabra for the Management of Gastrointestinal Disorders: A Comprehensive Review

Gastrointestinal disorders are among the most frequently encountered chronic health conditions worldwide and are characterized by symptoms including dyspepsia, acid reflux, constipation, bloating, mucosal irritation, and impaired gastric motility. Conventional pharmacotherapy provides symptomatic relief but often fails to address oxidative stress, inflammation, and mucosal barrier dysfunction associated with chronic gastrointestinal pathology (1,2). Increasing interest has therefore been directed toward herbal therapeutics with multi-targeted mechanisms of action. Among medicinal plants used in digestive disorders, Glycyrrhiza glabra (liquorice) has demonstrated significant gastroprotective, anti-ulcer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and mucosal regenerative properties (3–5). Additional supportive herbs such as Emblica officinalis (amla), Zingiber officinale (ginger), Foeniculum vulgare (fennel), Cuminum cyminum (jeera), and Mentha piperita (pudina) contribute antioxidant, prokinetic, carminative, and antispasmodic activities (6–9). Incorporation of these botanical extracts into effervescent dosage forms enhances dissolution, improves palatability, and ensures rapid gastric dispersion (10). This review focuses primarily on liquorice as the principal therapeutic component while discussing its phytochemistry, laboratory-scale extraction methods, mechanisms of gastrointestinal action, and synergistic integration with other herbal ingredients in polyherbal effervescent formulations.