Aniseed

Pimpinella anisum, syn. Anisum vulgare – Aniseed, anise, anix

Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) – Celery family (Umbellifers)

The raw material is the aniseed fruit – Anisi fructus and the aniseed oil – Anisi oleum. The fruits are harvested when they are greenish-grey and dried in natural conditions.

Aniseed – appearance and origin:

An annual, growing in sandy-loamy or loamy-sandy chernozem, rich in humus. The stem grows up to 50 cm, hollow (empty inside, in internodes), round, shallow furrows; branched in 2/3 of its height. The leaves vary depending on their placement: the lowest have long petioles, are rounded, serrated; the middle also have long petioles but are 3- to 5-sect, serrated; the upper are sessile, bi- or tripinnatisect or undivided. The flowers are white with pubescent, deciduous petals, clustered in flat corymbs, made up of 5-10 pedicels; the umbellules have 4-9 flowers. It blooms in June and July. Allogamous, melliferous. The fruit is a cremocarp up to 5 mm in length, pear-shaped, dividing into 2 greenish-grey, coarse mericarps. The root is a thin taproot.

Aniseed – effects and use:

Aniseed contains up to 6% of oil, protein substances, minerals, sugar, flavonoids (derivatives of apigenin and luteolin), coumarins (bergapten, umbelliferone).

The aniseed oil contains trans-anethole (80-90%), methyl chavicol, anisaldehyde, small amounts of terpenes (p-cymene, limonene). In a low temperature (+5° C), it tends to crystallize. The lack of this property points to its inadequate or long-term storage. When exposed to sunlight for a long period, the oil contains toxic anethole derivatives (liver damage, estrogenic effect); the anisaldehyde content also increases and anisic acid is formed – anethole oxidation products. Freshly distilled and properly stored oil has small amounts of these substances.

Aniseed extracts have an expectorant effect and minor relaxant and antibacterial activity. They are also used for improving digestion and as a carminative. The fruits also stimulate lactation.

Aniseed oil acts as an expectorant and relaxant by increasing the secretion of thin mucus in the bronchi and thereby decreasing its viscosity.

It is used for inhalations in upper respiratory infections, for coughing and trouble with expectorating: bronchitis, common colds. In pediatrics, it is used as a carminative (relaxant effect on the bowels).
Used externally on the skin to repel insects. Can cause allergic reactions.