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Illicium verum HOOK
Natural Encyclopaedia

Star anise

BOTANICAL NAME: Illicium verum HOOK.

PART USED: fruit.

DESCRIPTION: The active ingredient is trans-anethole. The name Illicium derives from the Latin illicere (to attract), probably because of the fragrance released. Tradition recounts the ancient use of aniseed as a flavouring, as well as its consequent great economic importance, so much so that it came close to other commercial species used in food such as cereals, vines, vegetables, fruit and olives.

Already in pre-Christian times, it reached Rome from the East where vinum hippocraticum was perfected by adding aniseed. Anise was also one of the 36 ingredients of mithridatium, a medicinal drink formulated by Crateva, physician from Mithridates. Consumption of aniseed in food in ancient Rome is evidenced by discoveries made in the collectors of the Colosseum and some villas. An interesting memory is that of the establishment in France, in 1263, of the Ordre des anysetiers du Roy, which testifies to the importance assumed by aniseed drinks  not only in the therapeutic field but also in the customs and culture of the Mediterranean people (1).

Curiosity: Star anise is the industrial-level source of shikimic acid, the primary ingredient used in the synthesis of antiviral drugs (such as Tamiflu) used in diseases such as bird flu.

PROPERTIES: Anethole is a substance that, when taken in small doses, has eupeptic, digestive, carminative, spasmolytic and diuretic actions. In high doses it can be mildly excitatory to the central nervous system. Scientific literature also attributes anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungal (2 -3) activity to star anise extract; it is also able to stimulate the production of leucocytes and would therefore have an anti-immunodepressant effect.

Anti-inflammatory action
Phenylpropanoids and phytochinoids from star anise have been successfully investigated in various models of inflammatory disease. Their action is through the reduction of histamine release from mast cells and TNF factor alpha5. Furthermore, other studies suggest that star anise extract inhibits NF-kB factor activation (4).

Antibacterial action
The main antibacterial activity is related to anethole, which has been shown to be active against many intestinal pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Yersinia enterocolica and Enteroccoccus faecalis. This action has made aniseed usable in conjunction with antibiotic therapy with the aim of improving the antibacterial performance of the drug (5).

Antifungal action
Anethole, or rather trans-anethole, has been shown to be more potent through a mechanism of action that is still poorly understood but can be associated with cell membrane disrupting activity (5).

Antioxidant action
In a recent study, it was shown that star anise extract has, in addition to its anti-inflammatory action, a marked ability to reduce oxidative stress: the most active ingredients were polyphenols (5).

Human studies indicate its tolerability up to a dosage of 3 g per day or 0.3 g of essential oil. It is not recommended for persons allergic to aniseed in general (6).

Bibliography

1 – Raymond R et al. Hydrogen potassium adenosine triphosphatase activity inhibition and downregulation of its expression by bioactive fraction DLBS2411 from Cinnamomum burmannii in gastric parietal cells. International Journal of General Medicine 2013.

2 - Capasso F et al. Phytotherapy: rational use of plant drugs. Springer. 2006 - Star Anise

3 - Firenzuoli F et al. Phytotherapy, 3° edition. Masson, Milan, 200217. Yoram Bouhnik, et al: Short-Chain Fructo-Oligosaccharide Administration Dose-Dependently Increases Fecal Bifidobacteria in Healthy Humans1. JN, the journal of nutrition, 1999.

4 - Sung YY et al. Illicium verum extract inhibits TNF-alpha- and INF gamma-induced expression of chemokines and cytokines in human keratinocytes. J Ethnopharmacol. 2012 were identified.

5 – Blaise Corthesy et al. Cross-Talk between Probiotic Bacteria and the Host Immune System. Journal of Nutrition. 2007

6 - Slavin J et al. Fiber and Prebiotics: Mechanism and Health Benefits. Nutrients 2013.