Anise (Pimpinella anisum) Research

Latin Name: Pimpinella anisum 

Family: Apiaceae

Anise seeds have commonly been used as a digestive aid, to help with coughing, reduce menopausal symptoms, and to repel insects.  The key anethole constituent comprises over 75% of the essential oil, with a possible estrogenic effect.

RESEARCH

The listings of research below represent a compilation of scientific articles found on the species, with a very brief overview description of each article/study.  Research found is catalogued by therapeutic action.  This categorized compilation of research articles does not necessarily imply that there are adequate results to demonstrate safe and/or effective human use.

GENERAL

• Petersen, D. (2015).  Aromatherapy materia medica.  Essential oil mongraphs.  American College of Healthcare sciences.
• ​Lis-Balchin, M.  (2006).  Aromatherapy science, A guide for healthcare professionals.  Pharmaceutical Press:  London.
• ​WebMD.  (n.d.).  Anise.  Retrieved in November, 2015.  Retrieved from www.webmd.com
• This mega-analysis reviewed research demonstrating multiple therapeutic actions of Pimpinella anisum.  These included: antifungal, antibacterial, antimicrobial, insecticidal, antiviral, muscle relaxant, antispasmodic, anticonvulsant, analgesic, antiulcer, anti-nausea, laxative, antidiabetic, antioxidant, and reduced menstrual symptoms.  From:  Shojaii, A., & Abdollahi Fard, M. (2012). Review of pharmacological properties and chemical constituents of Pimpinella anisum. ISRN pharmaceutics, 2012.
• This study reviewed uses for anise.  From:  Tepe, A. S., & Tepe, B. (2015). Traditional use, biological activity potential and toxicity of Pimpinella species. Industrial Crops and Products, 69, 153-166.

​SAFETY

• Contraindicated for pregnant, breast feeding, estrogen dependent cancers and conditions, young children, and sensitive skin (Lis-Balchin, 2006).
• May affect the strength of some birth control pills and interfere with diabetic medications, blood thinners, diuretics, and more (WebMD, n.d.).
• Skin patch test is needed for EO (Petersen, 2015).
• Do not exceed maximum dose of 3 drops of the EO, three times per day, for over two weeks; anethole and phenolic ether can reduce circulation and cause disorders to the circulatory and nervous system (Petersen, 2015).
• Adultered or poorly stored anise essential oil will not completely crystalize if placed in the refrigerator (Petersen, 2015).
• High quality anise essential oil should be 80 – 90% anethole (Petersen, 2015).
• Star anise oil comes from the dry ripe fruit of Illicium verum and has a slightly different chemical make up.
• Pimpinella anisum caused neuronal hyper-excitability in snails and could be contra-indicated in those with epilepsy.  From:  Janahmadi, M., Farajnia, S., Vatanparast, J., Abbasipour, H., & Kamalinejad, M. (2008). The fruit essential oil of Pimpinella anisum L.(Umblliferae) induces neuronal hyperexcitability in snail partly through attenuation of after-hyperpolarization. Journal of ethnopharmacology, 120(3), 360-365.

ANTIMICROBIAL / ANTIBACTERIAL / ANTIFUNGAL / ANTIVIRAL / ANTICANDIDA

• Thyme and anise oils were tested against Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria: Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris, Proteus mirabilis, Salmonella typhi, Salmonella typhimurium, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, with strongest action against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus and Proteus vulgaris. Combining the essential oils demonstrated additive action against most bacteria, especially P. aeruginosa.  From:  Al-Bayati, F. A. (2008). Synergistic antibacterial activity between Thymus vulgaris and Pimpinella anisum essential oils and methanol extracts. Journal of ethnopharmacology, 116(3), 403-406.
• Anise and boldus essential oils were effective antifungal agents against  Aspergillus section flavi. From:  Bluma, R., Amaiden, M. R., Daghero, J., & Etcheverry, M. (2008). Control of Aspergillus section Flavi growth and aflatoxin accumulation by plant essential oils. Journal of applied microbiology, 105(1), 203-214.
• Oregano, coriander, and basil essential oil showed the greatest inhibition to the other bacteria and fungi tested. Anise oil was not particularly inhibitory to bacteria but was highly inhibitory to molds. From:  Elgayyar, M., Draughon, F. A., Golden, D. A., & Mount, J. R. (2001). Antimicrobial activity of essential oils from plants against selected pathogenic and saprophytic microorganisms. Journal of Food Protection®, 64(7), 1019-1024.
• Antiviral activity was demonstrated against herpes simplex virus type 1 in vitro.  Star anise oil reduced viral infectivity by 99%, phenylpropanoids inhibited HSV infectivity by 60–80% and sesquiterpenes suppressed infection by 40–98%.  From:  Astani, A., Reichling, J., & Schnitzler, P. (2011). Screening for antiviral activities of isolated compounds from essential oils. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine, 2011.
• Pimpinella anisum extract demonstrated antioxidant and antimicrobial activity.  From:  Gülçın, İ., Oktay, M., Kıreçcı, E., & Küfrevıoǧlu, Ö. İ. (2003). Screening of antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of anise (Pimpinella anisum L.) seed extracts. Food chemistry, 83(3), 371-382.
• Food fungus was inhibited by P. anisum against Internaria alternata, Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus parasiticus.  From:  Özcan, M. M., & Chalchat, J. C. (2006). Chemical composition and antifungal effect of anise (Pimpinella anisum L.) fruit oil at ripening stage. Annals of microbiology, 56(4), 353-358.
• P. anisum showed antiviral activities against herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2, human cytomegalovirus, and the measles virus,  and interfered with virus adsorption to the host cell surface, and enhanced nitric oxide production related to macrophage cells.   From:  Lee, J. B., Yamagishi, C., Hayashi, K., & Hayashi, T. (2011). Antiviral and immunostimulating effects of lignin-carbohydrate-protein complexes from Pimpinella anisum. Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry, 75(3), 459-465.
• P. anisum demonstrated fair antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Escherchia coli, and Klebsiella Pneumoniae.  From:  Akhtar, A., Deshmukh, A. A., Bhonsle, A. V., Kshirsagar, P. M., & Kolekar, M. A. (2008). In vitro Antibacterial activity of Pimpinella anisum fruit extracts against some pathogenic bacteria. Veterinary World, 1(9), 272-274.
• Pimpinella anisum, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Cinnamomum cassia Blume (bark), and Juniperus oxycedrus (seed) showed antimicrobial activity in vitro against 13 bacterial species.  From:  ATEŞ, D. A., & TURGAY, Ö. (2003). Antimicrobial activities of various medicinal and commercial plant extracts. Turkish Journal of Biology, 27(3), 157-162.
• Black pepper, bay, aniseed, and coriander were tested  against 176 bacterial isolates from the oral cavities of 200 individuals. Black pepper was 75% antibacterial, bay leaf was 53.4%, aniseed was 18.1%, and coriander did not show any antibacterial activity.  From:  Chaudhry, N. M., & Tariq, P. (2006). Bactericidal activity of black pepper, bay leaf, aniseed and coriander against oral isolates. Pak J Pharm Sci, 19(3), 214-218.
• P. anisum demonstrated antifungal capability against multiple varieties of fungus.  From:  Shukla, H. S., & Tripathi, S. G. (1987). Antifungal substance in the essential oil of anise (Pimpinella anisum L.). Agricultural and biological chemistry, 51(7), 1991-1993.
• Pimpinella anisum essential oil showed strong antifungal activity against yeasts with and dermatophytes and there was a significant differences in antifungal activities between anise fluid extract, which was less effective than anise essential oil.  From:  Kosalec, I., Pepeljnjak, S., & Kustrak, D. A. N. I. C. A. (2005). Antifungal activity of fluid extract and essential oil from anise fruits (Pimpinella anisum L., Apiaceae). ACTA PHARMACEUTICA-ZAGREB-, 55(4), 377.
• The extracts of anise seeds inhibited only dermatophyte species, and the extracts of star anise inhibited all dermatophytes and saprophytes, showing antifungal activity.  From:  Yazdani, D., Rezazadeh, S. H., Amin, G. H., Abidin, Z., & Shahnani, S. (2009). Antifungal activity of dried extracts of anise (Pimpinella anisum L.) and star anise (Illicium verum Hook. f.) against dermatophyte and saprophyte fungi. Journal of Medical Plants, 8(5), 24-29.
• Thirty essential oils were tested against pathogenic plant bacteria. Ceylon cinnamon (leaf and bark), oregano, clove bud, palmarosa, basil, peppermint, rosemary, blue gum, camphor, lemongrass, aniseed, ylang ylang, silver fir, lemon, dwarf mountain pine, bay laurel, scots pine, black cumin, Indian frankincense, bergamot orange, common juniper, bitter orange, and neem showed varying degrees of reaction. From: Popović, T., Milićević, Z., Oro, V., Kostić, I., Radović, V., Jelušić, A., & Krnjajić, S. (2018). A preliminary study of antibacterial activity of thirty essential oils against several important plant pathogenic bacteria. Pesticidi i fitomedicina, 33(3-4), 185-195.

​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.

ANTIOXIDANT

• Pimpinella anisum extract demonstrated antioxidant and antimicrobial activity.  From:  Gülçın, İ., Oktay, M., Kıreçcı, E., & Küfrevıoǧlu, Ö. İ. (2003). Screening of antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of anise (Pimpinella anisum L.) seed extracts. Food chemistry, 83(3), 371-382.
• Chamomile (Matricaria aurea Schultz), anise (Pimpinella anisum) and dill (Anethum graveolens L) demonstrated antioxidant activities.  From:  Mohammad Al‐Ismail, K., & Aburjai, T. (2004). Antioxidant activity of water and alcohol extracts of chamomile flowers, anise seeds and dill seeds. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 84(2), 173-178.
• The antioxidant potency of anise oil was demonstrated.  From:  Singh, G., Kapoor, I. P. S., Singh, P., de Heluani, C. S., & Catalan, C. A. N. (2008). Chemical composition and antioxidant potential of essential oil and oleoresins from anise seeds (Pimpinella anisum L.). International Journal of Essential Oil Therapeutics, 2(3), 122.
• All the studied extracts showed antioxidant capability, with P. anisum showing the strongest effect, and there being a positive correlation between antioxidant potency and flavonoid content. Oils tested included:   Bunium persicum (similar to cumin), Coriandrum sativum (coriander), Cuminum cyminum (cumin), Foeniculum vulgare (fennel), Heracleum persicum (Persian hogweed), Pimpinella anisum (anise) and Trachyspermum copticum (ajowan).  From:  Nickavar, B., & Abolhasani, F. A. (2009). Screening of antioxidant properties of seven Umbelliferae fruits from Iran. Pak J Pharm Sci, 22(1), 30-35.
• Ocimum basilicum (basil), Mentha spicata (spearmint), Pimpinella anisum (anise) and Fortunella margarita (kumquat) were studied for their antimicrobial, antioxidant and antiproliferative activities. Spearmint and sweet basil demonstrated cytotoxicity against common foodborne bacteria, and against the fungi Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Aspergillus niger. Antioxidant and radical scavenging activity was found in variable degrees and all the oils showed antiproliferative potential against a variety of human cancer cell lines with the most potent one being sweet basil against colon carcinoma.  From:  Fitsiou, E., Mitropoulou, G., Spyridopoulou, K., Tiptiri-Kourpeti, A., Vamvakias, M., Bardouki, H., … & Pappa, A. (2016). Phytochemical Profile and Evaluation of the Biological Activities of Essential Oils Derived from the Greek Aromatic Plant Species Ocimum basilicum, Mentha spicata, Pimpinella anisum and Fortunella margarita. Molecules, 21(8), 1069.
• Clove, cumin, oregano, and anise essential oils may be a  potential source of natural antioxidant and antimicrobial agents.  From:  Raeisi, M., Hashemi, M., Aminzare, M., Sadeghi, M., Jahani, T., Keshavarzi, H., … & Tepe, B. (2016). Comparative Evaluation of Phytochemical, Antioxidant, and Antibacterial Properties from the Essential Oils of Four Commonly Consuming Plants in Iran. Journal of food quality and hazards control, 3(3), 107-113.
• Anise was high in phenolic compounds and phenolic acids and also showed high antioxidant potential, with the ability to inhibit lipid peroxidation β-carotene bleaching, and had free radical scavenging activity.  From:  Martins, N., Barros, L., Santos-Buelga, C., & Ferreira, I. C. (2016). Antioxidant potential of two Apiaceae plant extracts: A comparative study focused on the phenolic composition. Industrial Crops and Products, 79, 188-194.
• Pimpinella anisum (anise), Pëumus boldus (boldus), Hedeoma multiflora (mountain thyme), Syzygium aromaticum (clove), and Lippia turbinate (poleo) essential oils demonstrated antifungal activity against Aspergillus section Flavi in sterile maize grain.  From:  Bluma, R. V., & Etcheverry, M. G. (2008). Application of essential oils in maize grain: Impact on Aspergillus section Flavi growth parameters and aflatoxin accumulation. Food Microbiology, 25(2), 324-334.
• Of oils tested: rosemary, cumin, anise, thyme, and sweetgum essential oils showed the strongest antioxidant radical scavenging activity.  From:  Topal, U., Sasaki, M., Goto, M., & Otles, S. (2008). Chemical compositions and antioxidant properties of essential oils from nine species of Turkish plants obtained by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction and steam distillation. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 59(7-8), 619-634.

ANTI-CANCER

• Pimpinella anisum haD anti-proliferative properties on gastric cancer cells and could be used for gastric cancer.  From:  Rahamooz-Haghighi, S., & Asadi, M. H. (2016). Anti-proliferative effect of the extracts and essential oil of Pimpinella anisum on gastric cancer cells. Journal of HerbMed Pharmacology, 5(4).

​​ANTIDIABETIC

• Seeds from the anise and coriander demonstrated antidiabetic, hypolipidemic and antioxidant activities synergistically via bioactive compounds.   From:  Rajeshwari, U., Shobha, I., & Andallu, B. (2011). Comparison of aniseeds and coriander seeds for antidiabetic, hypolipidemic and antioxidant activities. Spatula DD-Peer Reviewed Journal on Complementary Medicine and Drug Discovery, 1(1), 9-16.
• Aniseed increased glucose absorption and reduced urine output in rats.  From:  Kreydiyyeh, S. I., Usta, J., Knio, K., Markossian, S., & Dagher, S. (2003). Aniseed oil increases glucose absorption and reduces urine output in the rat. Life sciences, 74(5), 663-673.
• Aniseeds exhibited anti-peroxidative and anti-diabetic activities and could be a promising source of natural radical scavengers, anti-peroxidative and anti-diabetic agents via phenolic compounds.  From:  Shobha, R. I., Rajeshwari, C. U., & Andallu, B. (2013). Anti-peroxidative and anti-diabetic activities of aniseeds (Pimpinella anisum L.) and identification of bioactive compounds. American Journal of Phytomedicine and clinical therapeutics, 1(5), 516-527.

SMOOTH MUSCLE RELAXANT

• There was a relaxant effect of Pimpinella anisum on isolated guinea pig tracheal due to inhibitory effects on muscarinic receptors, demonstrating its potential as a smooth muscle relaxant.  From:  Boskabady, M. H., & Ramazani-Assari, M. (2001). Relaxant effect of Pimpinella anisum on isolated guinea pig tracheal chains and its possible mechanism (s). Journal of ethnopharmacology, 74(1), 83-88.
• In a scientific study, Pimpinella anisum displayed a smooth muscle relaxant action as used in folk medicine for use as an antispasmodic agent.  From:  Tirapelli, Carlos R., Claudia R. de Andrade, Adriano O. Cassano, Fernando A. De Souza, Sergio R. Ambrosio, Fernando B. da Costa, and Ana M. de Oliveira. “Antispasmodic and relaxant effects of the hidroalcoholic extract of Pimpinella anisum (Apiaceae) on rat anococcygeus smooth muscle.” Journal of ethnopharmacology 110, no. 1 (2007): 23-29.

​INSECTICIDAL / LARVICIDAL / PESTICIDAL / REPELLENT

• Essential oils from 40 species were tested against larvae of Lycoriella ingénue using a fumigation bioassay.  Horseradish, anise, and garlic oils showed the most potent insecticidal activities and good insecticidal activity was demonstrated by Chenopodium ambrosioides L., Eucalyptus globulus, and Eucalyptus smithii. From:  Park, I. K., Choi, K. S., Kim, D. H., Choi, I. H., Kim, L. S., Bak, W. C., … & Shin, S. C. (2006). Fumigant activity of plant essential oils and components from horseradish (Armoracia rusticana), anise (Pimpinella anisum) and garlic (Allium sativum) oils against Lycoriella ingenua (Diptera: Sciaridae). Pest management science, 62(8), 723-728.
• Against three mosquito species, Juniperus macropoda (Juniper) and Pimpinella anisum (Anise) were highly effective as both larvicidal and ovicidal. Zingiber officinale (ginger) and Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) were found to be ovicidal and repellent. Cinnamomum zeylanicum (cinnamon) resulted into highest repellent values.  From:  Prajapati, V., Tripathi, A. K., Aggarwal, K. K., & Khanuja, S. P. S. (2005). Insecticidal, repellent and oviposition-deterrent activity of selected essential oils against Anopheles stephensi, Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus. Bioresource Technology, 96(16), 1749-1757.
• Anise (Pimpinella anisum), eucalyptus (Eucalyptus camaldulensis), mint (Mentha piperita) basil (Ocimum basilicum) and laurel (Laurus nobilis) were tested and demonstrated repellency against Culex pipiens, with the eucalyptus, basil and anise being the most active.  From:  Erler, F., Ulug, I., & Yalcinkaya, B. (2006). Repellent activity of five essential oils against Culex pipiens. Fitoterapia, 77(7), 491-494.
• Fumigant vapours from anise (Pimpinella anisum), cumin (Cuminum cyminum), eucalyptus (Eucalyptus camaldulensis), oregano (Origanum syriacum) and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) were tested against the packaged food pests: Tribolium confusum, and Ephestia kuehniella. Anise and cumin resulted in 100% mortality of the eggs.  Oregano achieved 77% mortality in T. confusum and 89% in E. kuehniella. Eucalyptus and rosemary achieved up to 45 and 65% mortality, respectively.  From:  Tunc, I., Berger, B. M., Erler, F., & Dağlı, F. (2000). Ovicidal activity of essential oils from five plants against two stored-product insects. Journal of Stored Products Research, 36(2), 161-168.  L
• The study showed the following as possible termite fumigants:  Melaleuca dissitiflora, Melaleuca uncinata, Eucalyptus citriodora, Eucalyptus polybractea, Eucalyptus radiata, Eucalyptus dives, Eucalyptus globulus, Orixa japonica, Cinnamomum cassia, Allium cepa, Illicium verum, Evodia officinalis, Schizonepeta tenuifolia, Cacalia roborowskii, Juniperus chinensis var. horizontalis, Juniperus chinensis var. kaizuka, clove bud, and garlic as well as the constituents of Diallyl trisulfide was the most toxic, followed by diallyl disulfide, eugenol, diallyl sulfide, and β-caryophyllene.  From: Park, I. K., & Shin, S. C. (2005). Fumigant activity of plant essential oils and components from garlic (Allium sativum) and clove bud (Eugenia caryophyllata) oils against the Japanese termite (Reticulitermes speratus Kolbe). Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 53(11), 4388-4392.
• The component in anise most active against house dust mites was p-Anisaldehyde.  From:  Lee, H. S. (2004). p-Anisaldehyde: acaricidal component of Pimpinella anisum seed oil against the house dust mites Dermatophagoides farinae and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus. Planta medica, 70(03), 279-281.
• ​The antiviral activity of the essential oils of fennel. and anise were tested against the potato virus X, the tobacco mosaic virus, and the tobacco ring spot virus and totally inhibited the formation of the plant’s local lesions at a concentration of 3000 ppm.  From:  Shukla, H. S., Dubey, P., & Chaturvedi, R. V. (1989). Antiviral properties of essential oils of Foeniculum vulgare and Pimpinella anisum L. Agronomie, 9(3), 277-279.
• A blend of coconut oil, anise oil and ylang ylang oil controlled lice infestation in children.  From:  Mumcuoglu, K. Y., Miller, J., Zamir, C., Zentner, G., Helbin, V., & Ingber, A. (2002). The in vivo pediculicidal efficacy of a natural remedy. The Israel Medical Association journal: IMAJ, 4(10), 790-793.
• Anise and ylang ylang showed acaracidal activity against the tick that can spread Lyme disease.  From:  Elmhalli, F., Pålsson, K., Örberg, J., & Grandi, G. (2018). Acaricidal properties of ylang-ylang oil and star anise oil against nymphs of Ixodes ricinus (Acari: Ixodidae). Experimental and Applied Acarology, 76(2), 209-220.

HEPATOPROTECTIVE

• Pimpinella anisum showed potential hepatoprotective effects.  From:  Cengiz, N., Ozbek, H., & Him, A. (2008). Hepatoprotective effects of Pimpinella anisum seed extract in rats. Pharmacologyonline, 3, 870-874.
• Potential hepatoprotective benefits of using the antioxidant: P. anisum were shown with decreased toxicity of aspartame.  From:  El Haliem, N. G., & Mohamed, D. S. (2011). The effect of aspartame on the histological structure of the liver and renal cortex of adult male albino rat and the possible protective effect of Pimpinella anisum oil. Egyptian Journal of Histology, 34(4), 715-726.

​NEPHROPROTECTIVE

• P. anisum was administered orally to young rats intoxicated by lead acetate and showed it may have a nephroprotective potential against harmful effect induced by lead toxicity on kidneys.  From:  Amina, B. (2016). Nephroprotective effect of Pimpinella anisum L. aqueous extract against lead toxicity: In vivo study. International Journal of Green Pharmacy (IJGP), 10(2).
• Bisphenol A (BPA) was a polycarbonate plastic used in plastic containers, baby’s bottle, and water bottles, and is shown to have a neurotoxic effect that can increase with diabetes and decrease with the treatment with anise.  From:  El-hodairy, F. A. (2014). Neuroprotective effects of pimpinella anisum on normal and diabetic rats. International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 6(12), 9-12.
• In young rats exposed to lead, Pimpinella anisum had a  beneficial effect on neurotoxicity. From:  Bekara, A., Aithamadouche, N., Kahloula, K., Sadi, N., & Aoues, A. K. (2016). Effect of Pimpinella anisum L. on Histological and Biochemical Damage in Cerebrum and Cerebellum of Young Rats Intoxicated by Lead Acetate. Group, 11, 12.

ANTICONVULSANT

• Pimpinella anisum essential oil suppressed tonic convulsions in mice.  From:  Pourgholami, M. H., Majzoob, S., Javadi, M., Kamalinejad, M., Fanaee, G. H. R., & Sayyah, M. (1999). The fruit essential oil of Pimpinella anisum exerts anticonvulsant effects in mice. Journal of ethnopharmacology, 66(2), 211-215.  Link:  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0378-8741(98)00161-5
• Extract from Pimpinella anisum reduced picrotoxin induced seizures in mice.  From:  Heidari, M. R., & Ayeli, M. (2005). Effects of methyl alcoholic extract of Pimpinella anisum L. on picrotoxin induced seizure in mice and its probable mechanism.

​STIMULANT

• Fragrance inhalation affected the sympethetic nervous system. Pepper, estragon oil, fennel, and grapefruit increased sympathetic activity, and rose and patchouli oils decreased sympathetic activity.  Inhaling pepper oil increased plasma adrenaline levels while rose oil decreased adrenealine.  From:  Haze, S., Sakai, K., & Gozu, Y. (2002). Effects of fragrance inhalation on sympathetic activity in normal adults. The Japanese journal of pharmacology, 90(3), 247-253.

​​ANALGESIC

• The extracts of Tribulus terrestris and Pimpinella anisum exhibited significant analgesic activity.  From:  Twaij, H. A., Elisha, E. E., Khalid, R. M., & Paul, N. J. (1987). Analgesic studies on some Iraqi medicinal plants. International Journal of Crude Drug Research, 25(4), 251-254.

DIGESTIVE HEALTH: GASTROPROTECTIVE / ANTI-NAUSEA / LAXATIVE

• In a study of 25 patients who were also using other medicines, a synergistic blend of Pimpinella anisum (anise), Foeniculum vulgare (sweet fennel), Anthemis nobilis (Roman chamomile) and Mentha piperita (peppermint) resulted in  nausea relief.  From:  Gilligan, N. P. (2005). The palliation of nausea in hospice and palliative care patients with essential oils of Pimpinella anisum (aniseed), Foeniculum vulgare var. dulce (sweet fennel), Anthemis nobilis (Roman chamomile) and Mentha x piperita (peppermint). International Journal of Aromatherapy, 15(4), 163-167.
• Upper GI pain was reduced in this double blind randomized clinical trial of 107 patients with 3g of anise powder 3 times a day over 4 weeks.  From:  Ghoshegir, S. A., Mazaheri, M., Ghannadi, A., Feizi, A., Babaeian, M., Tanhaee, M., … & Adibi, P. (2015). Pimpinella anisum in the treatment of functional dyspepsia: A double-blind, randomized clinical trial. Journal of research in medical sciences: the official journal of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, 20(1), 13.
• A blend of  Pimpinella anisum (anise), Foeniculum vulgare (fennel) , Sambucus nigra (elderberry), and Cassia angustifolia has laxative efficacy and is a safe alternative option for the treatment of constipation.  From:  Picon, P. D., Picon, R. V., Costa, A. F., Sander, G. B., Amaral, K. M., Aboy, A. L., & Henriques, A. T. (2010). Randomized clinical trial of a phytotherapic compound containing Pimpinella anisum, Foeniculum vulgare, Sambucus nigra, and Cassia augustifolia for chronic constipation. BMC complementary and alternative medicine, 10(1), 1.
• Helicobacter pylori causes gastritis and peptic ulcer disease.  Botanical extracts that were most effective against H. pylori included:  Carum carvi, Elettaria cardamomum, Gentiana lutea, Juniper communis, Lavandula angustifolia, Melissa officinalis, Mentha piperita, Pimpinella anisum, Matricaria recutita, and Ginkgo biloba.  From:  Mahady, G. B., Pendland, S. L., Stoia, A., Hamill, F. A., Fabricant, D., Dietz, B. M., & Chadwick, L. R. (2005). In vitro susceptibility of Helicobacter pylori to botanical extracts used traditionally for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. Phytotherapy research, 19(11), 988-991.
• Ginger, peppermint, aniseed and fennel, citrus fruits, dandelion and artichoke, melissa and chamomile have digestive enhancing activities.  From:  Valussi, M. (2012). Functional foods with digestion-enhancing properties. International journal of food sciences and nutrition, 63(sup1), 82-89.
• Anise significantly inhibited gastric mucosal damage induced by necrotizing agents in rats.  From:  Alhaider, A. A., Al-Moqh, I. A., Mossa, J. S., Al-Soohaibani, M. O., & Rafatullah, S. (2007). Aqueous suspension of anise” Pimpinella anisum” protects rats against chemically induced gastric ulcers. World Journal of Gastroenterology, 13(7), 1112-1118.

​ANTI-OSTEOPOROSIS

• Sideritis sp. (ironwort), Marticaria chamomilla (German chamomile), and Pimpinella anisum (anise) stimulate osteoblastic cell differentiation and exhibit an anti-estrogenic effect on breast cancer cells without proliferative effects on cervical adenocarcinoma cells, and may be considered to prevent osteoporosis and to treat hormone sensitive cancers.  From:  Kassi, E., Papoutsi, Z., Fokialakis, N., Messari, I., Mitakou, S., & Moutsatsou, P. (2004). Greek plant extracts exhibit selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM)-like properties. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 52(23), 6956-6961.

ANTIDEPRESSANT

• Anise oil could be an effective choice in the treatment for depressed patients with irritable bowel syndrome.  From:  Mosaffa-Jahromi, M., Tamaddon, A. M., Afsharypuor, S., Salehi, A., Seradj, S. H., Pasalar, M., … & Lankarani, K. B. (2016). Effectiveness of Anise Oil for Treatment of Mild to Moderate Depression in Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrome A Randomized Active and Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial. Journal of evidence-based complementary & alternative medicine, 2156587216628374.

FEMALE HEALTH / ESTROGEN FORMING

• 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.
• In a double blind randomized study with 180 female students, an herbal blend of safron, celery seed, and anise helped reduce menstrual pains.  From:  Nahidi, K., Fariborz, M., Ataolah, G., & Solokian, S. (2009). The effect of an Iranian herbal drug on primary dysmenorrhea: a clinical controlled trial. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 54(5), 401-404.
• 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.
• This was a double-blind clinical trial of 72 women, demonstrating a reduction in hot flashes with Pimpinella anisum.  From:  Nahidi, F., Kariman, N., Simbar, M., & Mojab, F. (2012). The study on the effects of Pimpinella anisum on relief and recurrence of menopausal hot flashes. Iranian journal of pharmaceutical research: IJPR, 11(4), 1079.

ANTI-TUSSIVE / RESPIRATORY

• In an open trial of 62 patients, a cough syrup made from ivy leaves, thyme herb, aniseed and marshmallow root was effective. From:  Büechi, S., Vögelin, R., von Eiff, M. M., Ramos, M., & Melzer, J. (2005). Open trial to assess aspects of safety and efficacy of a combined herbal cough syrup with ivy and thyme. Complementary Medicine Research, 12(6), 328-332.
• 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.

GREEN GARDENING

• Thirty essential oils were tested against pathogenic plant bacteria. Ceylon cinnamon (leaf and bark), oregano, clove bud, palmarosa, basil, peppermint, rosemary, blue gum, camphor, lemongrass, aniseed, ylang ylang, silver fir, lemon, dwarf mountain pine, bay laurel, scots pine, black cumin, Indian frankincense, bergamot orange, common juniper, bitter orange, and neem showed varying degrees of reaction.  From: Popović, T., Milićević, Z., Oro, V., Kostić, I., Radović, V., Jelušić, A., & Krnjajić, S. (2018). A preliminary study of antibacterial activity of thirty essential oils against several important plant pathogenic bacteria. Pesticidi i fitomedicina, 33(3-4), 185-195.

By Kathy Sadowski

Updated: 11/5/19