ISO 19015:2025

Traditional Chinese medicine - Glycyrrhiza uralensis and Glycyrrhiza glabra seeds and seedlings

This document specifies the requirements and test methods of Glycyrrhiza uralensis and Glycyrrhiza glabra seeds and seedlings. This document is applicable to Glycyrrhiza uralensis and Glycyrrhiza glabra seeds and Glycyrrhiza uralensis seedlings that are sold for the production of Glycyrrhiza uralensis and Glycyrrhiza glabra root as natural medicines in international trade including Chinese materia medica (whole medicinal materials) and decoction pieces.

Médecine traditionnelle chinoise — Graines et plants de Glycyrrhiza uralensis et de Glycyrrhiza glabra

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 05-Jun-2025
• ICS: 11.120.10 - Medicaments
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 249 - Traditional Chinese medicine
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 249 - Traditional Chinese medicine
• Current Stage: 6060 - International Standard published
• Start Date: 06-Jun-2025
• Due Date: 20-Jan-2026
• Completion Date: 06-Jun-2025

Overview

ISO 19015:2025 - Traditional Chinese medicine - Glycyrrhiza uralensis and Glycyrrhiza glabra seeds and seedlings is the first international standard specifying requirements and test methods for liquorice (Glycyrrhiza) seeds and seedlings used to produce medicinal roots. Published by ISO/TC 249 (Traditional medicine) in 2025, the standard applies to G. uralensis and G. glabra seeds and to G. uralensis one‑year seedlings sold for the production of roots for Chinese materia medica, decoction pieces and international trade.

Key Topics

ISO 19015:2025 defines terminology, descriptions and practical test procedures relevant to seed and seedling quality management:

• Scope and definitions for seed lots, primary/composite/subsamples, seedling, hibernaculum, tap root, etc.
• Morphological descriptions of G. uralensis and G. glabra seeds and G. uralensis seedlings (seed structure, fruit pod, hibernaculum).
• Sampling procedures for seeds and seedlings to create representative submitted and working samples.
• Test methods including:
  • external inspection and purity analysis
  • maturity and seed viability (e.g., tetrazolium/topographical methods)
  • germination percentage and seed moisture content
  • 1 000‑seed mass
  • nematode testing (seed health)
  • seedling mass, hibernaculum diameter and root length
• Reporting, packaging, storage, transportation and marking requirements to support traceability and safe trade.

The standard aligns testing references with International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) rules and cross‑references ISO standards for labelling (ISO 21371) and storage (ISO 22217).

Applications

ISO 19015:2025 provides a technical foundation for:

• Ensuring consistent seed and seedling quality for medicinal Glycyrrhiza cultivation.
• Harmonizing seed testing and acceptance criteria across international supply chains.
• Supporting pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and food industries that rely on standardized raw material input.
• Facilitating international trade by reducing confusion, heterozygosity and uneven quality of planting material.
• Informing quality control protocols at seed laboratories, nurseries and regulatory agencies.

Who should use this standard

• Seed producers and nurseries cultivating Glycyrrhiza uralensis and G. glabra
• Quality control and seed testing laboratories
• Traditional Chinese medicine manufacturers and herbal suppliers
• Agricultural extension services and plant health regulators
• Importers/exporters and supply chain compliance teams

Related standards

• ISO 21371 - Labelling requirements for TCM products
• ISO 22217 - Storage requirements for raw materials and decoction pieces
• ISTA International Rules for Seed Testing

Keywords: ISO 19015, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Glycyrrhiza glabra, liquorice seed standard, traditional Chinese medicine seeds, seed testing, seedling quality, germination, seed moisture, 1 000‑seed mass.

Standards Content (Sample)

International
Standard
ISO 19015
First edition
Traditional Chinese medicine —
2025-06
Glycyrrhiza uralensis and
Glycyrrhiza glabra seeds and
seedlings
Médecine traditionnelle chinoise — Graines et plants de
Glycyrrhiza uralensis et de Glycyrrhiza glabra
Reference number
© ISO 2025
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Descriptions . 3
5 Requirements and recommendations . 6
5.1 General characteristics .6
5.2 Glycyrrhiza uralensis and Glycyrrhiza glabra seeds .6
5.3 Glycyrrhiza uralensis seedlings.7
6 Sampling . 7
6.1 Seed sampling . .7
6.2 Seedling sampling .8
7 Test methods . 8
7.1 External test .8
7.2 Purity .8
7.3 Maturity .8
7.4 Seed viability .8
7.5 Germination percentage .8
7.6 Seed moisture content .8
7.7 1 000-seed mass .9
7.8 Nematode testing .9
7.9 Seedling mass .9
7.10 Hibernaculum diameter .9
7.11 Root length .9
8 Test report . 9
9 Packaging, storage and transportation . 9
10 Marking . .10
Bibliography .11

iii
Foreword
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bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through
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The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types
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This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 249, Traditional medicine, Subcommittee SC 1,
Traditional Chinese medicine.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.

iv
Introduction
Liquorice is one of the most frequently used medicinal plants and has been used as a traditional Chinese
medicine (TCM) for more than 4 000 years. It is widely used in medicine, food and cosmetics industry
worldwide. It is rich in triterpenoids and flavonoids, such as ammonium glycyrrhizinate, glycyrrhizin,
liquiritin, liquiritigenin, isoliquiritigenin, isoliquiritin, glabridin, and has antitumor, antimicrobial, antiviral,
antiinflammatory, immunoregulatory, antioxidant and other effects. It is included in the Pharmacopoeia of
the People's Republic of China, European Pharmacopoeia, Japanese Pharmacopoeia, Korean Pharmacopoeia
and United States Pharmacopoeia. It is also used as a sweetener, an antioxidant, an antibacterial agent, a
foaming agent and a flavour enhancer. Meanwhile, it is a food additive approved by the European Union,
the United States, China and other countries (or regions). Glabridin is recognized as a safe whitening agent
because it has a significant inhibitory effect on tyrosinase activity and has low toxicity to melanocytes.
Between 2019 and 2021, a total of 119 countries (or regions) engaged in international trade of liquorice
products. 3 countries (or regions) only exported and 60 countries (or regions) only imported liquorice
products. 56 countries (or regions) both exported and imported liquorice products. It is ranked no. 1 in the
priority list of single herbal medicines for developing standards in ISO/TR 23975.
Three original plants, Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch., Glycyrrhiza glabra L. and Glycyrrhiza inflata Bat. are
defined as liquorice in the Pharmacopoeia of the People’s Republic of China, European Pharmacopoeia and
Korean Pharmacopoeia. Due to high-intensity anthropogenic activities that cause habitat destruction and
uncontrolled exploitation, liquorice resources have become increasingly limited. With the development of
artificial cultivation technology geared towards meeting the growing market demands, cultivated varieties
of liquorice have become the primary source of liquorice products. At present, only G. uralensis and G. glabra
have realized the large-scale cultivation. High quality seeds and seedlings are the assurance of the efficacy
and safety of clinical drug use. In the production of G. uralensis and G. glabra, the problems of confusion,
heterozygosity and uneven quality of seeds and seedlings often occur. At present, an international
standard for G. uralensis and G. glabra seeds and seedlings is absent. Therefore, it is urgent to formulate
an international standard for G. uralensis and G. glabra seeds and seedlings. It is the requirement of the
global trade and production. It can ensure the higher productivity and better product quality from origin
and benefit seed or seedling trading, plantation and the related pharmaceutical industry.

v
International Standard ISO 19015:2025(en)
Traditional Chinese medicine — Glycyrrhiza uralensis and
Glycyrrhiza glabra seeds and seedlings
1 Scope
This document specifies the requirements and test methods of Glycyrrhiza uralensis and Glycyrrhiza glabra
seeds and seedlings.
This document is applicable to Glycyrrhiza uralensis and Glycyrrhiza glabra seeds and Glycyrrhiza uralensis
seedlings that are sold for the production of Glycyrrhiza uralensis and Glycyrrhiza glabra root as natural
medicines in international trade including Chinese materia medica (whole medicinal materials) and
decoction pieces.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes
requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references,
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 21371, Traditional Chinese medicine — Labelling requirements of products intended for oral or topical use
ISO 22217, Traditional Chinese medicine —Storage requirements for raw materials and decoction pieces
International Seed Testing Association (ISTA), International Rules for Seed Testing
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1
seed lot
specified quantity of the seed (3.7) that is physically and u
...