Anethole / Anise Camphor / Trans-Anethole
Anethole is a phenol methyl ether as found in anise, fennel, and camphor. Anise is over 90% anethole. Trans-anethole is the more abundant and safer anethole isomer, while cis-anethole is more toxic. The cis-anethole isomer is found in very small amounts in fennel and anise.
Phenol methyl ethers are similar to phenols, but even more powerful. Concerns with overuse include psychotropic, neurotoxic effects, liver toxicity, and possible carcinogenic activity.
Links to Plants Containing Anethole
RESEARCH
The listings of research below represent a compilation of scientific articles found on the topic, with a very brief overview description of each article/study. This compilation of research articles does not necessarily imply that there are adequate results to demonstrate safe and/or effective human use of any herb listed.
CHOLESTEROL LOWERING
- Total phenol content of essential oils was related to LDL antioxidant activity associated with cardiac heart disease. Phenols included: methylchavicol, anethol, p-cymen, apiole, cinnamic ether, carvacrol, thymol, p-cymene, vanillin, cuminol, and eugenol. From: Teissedre, P. L., & Waterhouse, A. L. (2000). Inhibition of oxidation of human low-density lipoproteins by phenolic substances in different essential oils varieties. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 48(9), 3801-3805.
ANTIMICROBIAL / ANTIBACTERIAL
- Origanum minutiflorum (oregano), Laurus nobilis (bay), Lavandula stoechas (lavender) and Foeniculum vulgare (fennel) were effective against the following foodborne pathogens: Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella typhimurium, and Staphylococcus aureus. Constituents included carvacrol, 1,8-cineole, fenchone, and trans-anethole. From: Dadalioglu, I., & Evrendilek, G. A. (2004). Chemical compositions and antibacterial effects of essential oils of Turkish oregano (Origanum minutiflorum), bay laurel (Laurus nobilis), Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas L.), and fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) on common foodborne pathogens. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 52(26), 8255-8260.
- Antimicrobial and antioxidant activities from the essential oils from seeds of three organically grown fennel (Foeniculum vulgare var. azoricum, Foeniculum vulgare var. dulce, and Foeniculumvulgare var. vulgare) were found. Constituents found in high amounts in the tested oils were trans-Anethole (61% for azoricum), estragole (57% for vulgare), fenchone (13% for dulce), and limonene (28% for dulce). From: Chang, S., Mohammadi Nafchi, A., & Karim, A. A. (2016). Chemical composition, antioxidant activity and antimicrobial properties of three selected varieties of Iranian fennel seeds. Journal of Essential Oil Research, 28(4), 357-363.
- Origanum minutiflorum (oregano), Laurus nobilis (bay), Lavandula stoechas (lavender) and Foeniculum vulgare (fennel) were effective against the following foodborne pathogens: Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella typhimurium, and Staphylococcus aureus. Constituents included carvacrol, 1,8-cineole, fenchone, and trans-anethole. From: Dadalioglu, I., & Evrendilek, G. A. (2004). Chemical compositions and antibacterial effects of essential oils of Turkish oregano (Origanum minutiflorum), bay laurel (Laurus nobilis), Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas L.), and fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) on common foodborne pathogens. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 52(26), 8255-8260.
INSECTICIDAL
- Insecticidal activity against Sitophilus oryzae, Callosobruchus chinensis and Lasioderma serricorne was demonstrated by fennel and its constituents: anethole, estragole, and fenchone. From: Kim, D. H., & Ahn, Y. J. (2001). Contact and fumigant activities of constituents of Foeniculum vulgare fruit against three coleopteran stored‐product insects. Pest Management Science, 57(3), 301-306.
- Against the yellow fever mosquito, pulegone, thymol, eugenol, trans-anithole, rosemary oil and citronellal showed high larvicidal activity. Eugenol, citronellal, thymol, pulegone, rosemary oil and cymene showed oviposition deterrent and/or repellent activities. From: Waliwitiya, R., Kennedy, C. J., & Lowenberger, C. A. (2009). Larvicidal and oviposition‐altering activity of monoterpenoids, trans‐anithole and rosemary oil to the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae). Pest management science, 65(3), 241-248.
- Pulegone, thymol, eugenol, trans-anithole, rosemary oil, citronellal, and cymene showed high larvicidal, oviposition deterrent, and/or repellent activities against the denge fever mosquito. From: Waliwitiya, R., Kennedy, C. J., & Lowenberger, C. A. (2009). Larvicidal and oviposition‐altering activity of monoterpenoids, trans‐anithole and rosemary oil to the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae). Pest management science, 65(3), 241-248.
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY
- Phytochemicals derived from spices can reduce inflammatory diseases. These include: turmeric (curcumin), red pepper (capsaicin), cloves (eugenol), ginger (gingerol), cumin, anise (anethol), fennel (anethol), basil (ursolic acid), rosemary (ursolic acid), garlic (diallyl sulfide, S-allylmercaptocysteine, and ajoene), and pomegranate (ellagic acid). From: Aggarwal, B. B., & Shishodia, S. (2004). Suppression of the Nuclear Factor‐κB Activation Pathway by Spice‐Derived Phytochemicals: Reasoning for Seasoning. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1030(1), 434-441.
- Essential oil components were investigated to decrease harm caused by air pollution. The tested components, trans-anethole, estragole, eugenol and isoeugenol decreased the inflammatory response. From: Kfoury, M., Borgie, M., Verdin, A., Ledoux, F., Courcot, D., Auezova, L., & Fourmentin, S. (2016). Essential oil components decrease pulmonary and hepatic cells inflammation induced by air pollution particulate matter. Environmental chemistry letters, 14(3), 345-351.
CARDIAC HEALTH
- F. vulgare essential oil, and its main component anethole, showed safe antithrombotic activity. From: Tognolini, M., Ballabeni, V., Bertoni, S., Bruni, R., Impicciatore, M., & Barocelli, E. (2007). Protective effect of Foeniculum vulgare essential oil and anethole in an experimental model of thrombosis. Pharmacological Research, 56(3), 254-260.
ESTROGEN FORMING / ESTROGEN EFFECT
- The article discussed fennel and anise used to increase milk secretion, promote menstruation, facilitate birth, alleviate male climacteric, and increase libido. The main constituent of both fennel and anise is anethole, and it may be the active estrogenic agent. From: Albert-Puleo, M. (1980). Fennel and anise as estrogenic agents. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2(4), 337-344.
- Essential oils of eleven Pimpinella species and anethole as a major compound were studied and it showed that species with low anethole still showed estrogenic activity. From: Tabanca, N., Khan, S. I., Bedir, E., Annavarapu, S., Willett, K., Khan, I. A., … & Baser, K. H. C. (2004). Estrogenic activity of isolated compounds and essential oils of Pimpinella species from Turkey, evaluated using a recombinant yeast screen. Planta medica, 70(08), 728-735.
ANALGESIC
- Essential oil constituents with an analgesic activity are reviewed. Included are p-cymene, carvacrol, linalool, eugenol, menthol, alpha-bisabolol, cinnamaldehyde, citronellal, citronellol, citronellyl acetate, alpha-phelandrene, alpha-terpeneol, vanillin, borneol, myrtenol, pulegone, citral, thymol, limonene, nerol, anethole, nerolidol, carvone, farnesol, and beta-caryphyllene. From: Lima, T., da Nóbrega, F., de Brito, A., & de Sousa, D. (2017). Analgesic-like activity of essential oil constituents: an update. International journal of molecular sciences, 18(12), 2392.
RESPIRATORY
- Essential oil components were investigated to decrease harm caused by air pollution. The tested components, trans-anethole, estragole, eugenol and isoeugenol decreased the inflammatory response. From: Kfoury, M., Borgie, M., Verdin, A., Ledoux, F., Courcot, D., Auezova, L., & Fourmentin, S. (2016). Essential oil components decrease pulmonary and hepatic cells inflammation induced by air pollution particulate matter. Environmental chemistry letters, 14(3), 345-351.
By: Kathy Sadowski
Updated: 11/6/19
