Carbenoxolone

General information

Liquorice owes its ulcer-healing properties to glycyrrhizin and glycyrrhizic acid; carbenoxolone is related to the latter. All these substances have unwanted mineralocorticoid-like effects. Deglycyrrhizinated liquorice and lauryl glycyrrhetinic acid, which are also used in some countries for their ulcer-healing effects, do not have mineralocorticoid-like effects. It should be noted that liquorice is sometimes present in laxatives, for example those prepared by herbalists, and that hyperaldosteronism can occur unexpectedly in such cases when liquorice consumption has gone unrecognized [ ]. For example, hypokalemia and hypertension has been associated with the use of liquorice flavored chewing gum [ ].

Organs and systems