Database/Fragrance/Ammonium Glycyrrhizate
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Ammonium Glycyrrhizate natural?

Mostly. Almost the entire mass is the natural licorice triterpene glycoside; only the small ammonium counter-ion is natural-gas derived.

INCI nameAmmonium Glycyrrhizate
CAS53956-04-0
FormulaC42H65NO16 · 840.0 Da
FunctionFragrance · Flavouring
FeedstockMade by neutralising glycyrrhizic acid, extracted from licorice…

How we scored it

Glycyrrhizic acid (licorice extract, natural) 822.9 Da + ammonia counter-ion (natural-gas derived, petrochemical convention) 17.0 Da = 822.9/840.0 = 0.98
What counts. ISO 16128-2 scores the atoms that remain in the final ingredient. Reagents, solvents, catalysts and protecting groups used during manufacture leave no mass behind and are not counted.

Where it comes from

Made by neutralising glycyrrhizic acid, extracted from licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) root, with ammonia. No alternative commercial route exists.

In plain English

The ammonium salt of a sweet-tasting compound extracted from licorice root. Used in cosmetics for soothing, skin-conditioning properties and mild natural sweetness in flavouring.

CosIng definition: Ammonium Glycyrrhizate is the ammonium salt of Glycyrrhizic Acid.

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Structure

2D structure of Ammonium Glycyrrhizate

(2S,3S,4S,5R,6R)-6-[(2S,3R,4S,5S,6S)-2-[[(3S,4aR,6aR,6bS,8aS,11S,12aR,14aR,14bS)-11-carboxy-4,4,6a,6b,8a,11,14b-heptamethyl-14-oxo-2,3,4a,5,6,7,8,9,10,12,12a,14a-dodecahydro-1H-picen-3-yl]oxy]-6-carboxy-4,5-dihydroxyoxan-3-yl]oxy-3,4,5-trihydroxyoxane-2-carboxylic acid;azane

PubChem CID 62074 ↗

References

  1. 1ISO 16128-1:2016 and ISO 16128-2:2017 — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products. ISO, Geneva.
  2. 2Ammonium Glycyrrhizate. PubChem CID 62074. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3AMMONIUM GLYCYRRHIZATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4AMMONIUM GLYCYRRHIZATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=AMMONIUM%20GLYCYRRHIZATE