More on licorice ingredient, glycyrrhizic acid as no-one seems to have grasped the significance of this stuff's ability to kill HSV, VZV, CMV, EBV infected cells :
Glycyrrhizic acid alters Kaposi sarcoma–associated herpesvirus latency, triggering p53-mediated apoptosis in transformed B lymphocytes
In addition, GA and its derivatives were shown to be effective both in vitro and in vivo against herpes simplex virus 2 (29–31), varicella zoster (31, 32), human CMV (31, 32), and EBV...
...GA is now routinely used throughout Japan for the treatment and control of chronic viral hepatitis, and its transaminase-lowering effect is clinically well recognized (35–37). Several pharmacological actions of GA, such as an antiinflammatory effect (38, 39), are considered to be mechanisms by which GA lowers transaminase levels. In human T cell lines, GA treatment enhances Fas-mediated apoptosis without alteration of caspase-3–like activity (40)....
http://www.ncbi.nlm....les/PMC1051998/
Licking latency with licorice
...While GA is effective for killing PEL cells in vitro, there are several caveats for the treatment of patients with PEL with GA. First, since GA is rapidly hydrolyzed to glycyrrhetic acid in the gastrointestinal tract, glycyrrhetic acid would need to be shown to be effective against PEL cells in vitro or GA would need to be administered intravenously. After intravenous administration of GA for treatment of hepatitis, serum levels of GA have been shown to range from 40 to 100 μg/ml (20), compared with the millimolar concentrations needed to induce apoptosis of PEL cells in vitro. Thus, the levels of GA required for efficacy in vitro might not be achievable in vivo. Second, Curreli et al. (2) found that the effects of GA on downregulating LANA expression in PEL cells were reversible for up to 3–4 days of treatment; thus, continuous and/or prolonged courses of therapy with GA might be needed. Third, therapeutic levels of GA might be toxic for normal cells and tissues. Curreli et al. found that the ED50 of GA for PEL cells was 2–3 mM; however, levels of 5–6 mM were toxic for uninfected cells...
http://www.ncbi.nlm....les/PMC1052015/