Ghasem Eghlima - Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran
Azizollah Kheiry - Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran
Mohsen Sanikhani - Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran
Javad Hadian - Department of Agriculture, Medicinal Plants and Drugs Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
Mitra Aelaei - Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran
Samad Nejad Ebrahimi - Department of Photochemistry, Medicinal Plants and Drugs Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) as a strategic and highly valuable medicinal plant in Iran with numerous beneficial pharmaceutical properties contributes substantially to Iranian herbs exports. In the present study, a variation on the phytochemical and antioxidant activity of ۲۵ populations of valuable and profitable medicinal plant of G. glabra was investigated. The climate variables and soil properties were evaluated in various habitates of G. glabra. Total phenol (Folin–Ciocalteu method), total flavonoid (Aluminum Chloride method), anthocyanin (pH difference method) and antioxidant activity (DPPH method) were studied. Glycyrrhizic acid, glabridin, liquiritigenin and liquiritin content of root were evaluated by liquid chromatography. The content of major components in G. glabra varied in different regions. Outstanding quantitative variability of glycyrrhizic acid, glabridin, liquiritin and liquiritigenin content were observed in roots of licorice from different regions of Iran. Glycyrrhizic acid content was varied from ۹۳.۸۹ (mg/g dry weight) for the Sepidan population to ۲۰.۶۸ (mg/g dry weight) for the Ahar population. The maximum and minimum amounts of glabridin were recorded in Kashmar and Bajgah populations, respectively. The highest levels of liquritin and liquiritigenin were in the population of Kazerun and Yasuj, respectively, and the lowest was observed in Kashmar. Also, the highest antioxidant activity (the lowest IC۵۰) for licorice root was associated with Semirom population. In conclusion, The populations with high amount of each active ingredient in licorice root and those with considerable antioxidant activity can be exploited depending on the purpose of breeding and cultivation.

Glycyrrhiza glabra, environmental and soil analysis, phytochemical variation, Antioxidant activity