Anise (Pimpinella anisum)
Anise (Pimpinella anisum)
1- Scientific Name
Pimpinella anisum – English Name: Anise
2- Family
Carrot/Umbellifer family: Apiaceae (Umbelliferae)
3- Botanical Description
An annual herbaceous plant with roots penetrating the soil to a depth of 40 cm. The stem is ridged, 40–70 cm tall. The leaves are alternate at the bottom and opposite at the top; the lower leaves are long-stalked, heart-shaped, and with large teeth at the margins, while the upper leaves are nearly stalkless and divided into long thread-like lobes. The flowers are arranged in a compound umbel inflorescence, white, small, either median female or terminal sterile hermaphrodite/male. The fruit splits into two mericarps, small, ovoid to conical in shape, 3–5 mm long and 1.5–2.5 mm wide, grayish-green to grayish-brown in color, aromatic, with grooves on the outer surface, on the edge of each of which are bands of oil-secreting pockets.
4- Part Used
Mature fruits.
5- Active Compounds
Anise fruits contain a volatile essential oil at 1–5% of their dry weight, depending on the variety and the growing environment. It is a colorless or slightly pale-yellow liquid. Trans-anethole is the main component of this oil, making up 75–95%, in addition to other components such as Linalool, Estragole, Cis-anethole, and Anisaldehyde, along with numerous organic acids.
The fruits also contain a fixed oil at approximately 5–14%, its most important acids being Oleic acid, Linoleic acid, and Petroselinic acid, in addition to the fruits being rich in protein compounds reaching 20%.
6- Medicinal Importance
Anise volatile oil is used in pharmaceutical or food industries through formulation of products that work to:
- Soothe coughing, throat pain, tonsillitis, and asthma attacks.
- Reduce body temperature and expel gases causing bloating and colic, especially in children.
- Stimulate menstruation, relieve its pain, and strengthen labor contractions during childbirth, easing delivery.
- Stimulate milk production in nursing mothers.
- Reduce fungal and microbial spread.
7- Acceptance Card
| No. | Property | Specification |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Color | Greenish brown |
| 2 | Texture | Hard |
| 3 | Odor | Pleasant aromatic |
| 4 | Fungal & Insect Infestation | Indicator: No unpleasant odors, foreign colors, or flying insects of any kind Limits: Infestation by storage insects (larvae, adult insects) not to exceed 2% |
| 5 | % Impurities | Not to exceed 5% |
| 6 | % Volatile Oil | Not less than 1% Note: oil quality and economic feasibility should be considered if the percentage falls below this |
| 7 | % Fatty Oil | Not less than 6% Note: oil quality and economic feasibility should be considered if the percentage falls below this |
| 8 | % Moisture | Not to exceed 10% |
8- General Notes
Excessive use of anise can cause tremors, organ disorders, and muscle breakdown; it is not recommended for children under one year of age.