It is an annual aromatic herb belonging to the Apiaceae family. It is cultivated mainly in southern Europe and Southeast Asia.
It has been cultivated by Egyptians for around 4,000 years. Its fruits, known also as aniseed, were used as traditional medicine in China as early as in the 5th century. Fruits of this plant contain fatty oil, proteins, carbohydrates and cellulos fibers.
Important compounds found in anise seed include estragol, p-anisaldehyde, anise alcohol, acetophenone, pinene, and limonene, but the most important volatile oil that gives the characteristic sweet, aromatic flavor to seeds is anethole. Anethole which is used in pharmaceutical, food, perfumery and flavoring industry, is the most important constituent of anise.
Anise seeds taste like licorice and are used as a breath freshener. Anise is used for upset stomach, intestinal gas, “runny nose,” and as an expectorant to increase productive cough, as a diuretic to increase urine flow, and as an appetite stimulant. Women use anise to increase milk flow when nursing, start menstruation, treat menstrual discomfort or pain, ease childbirth, and increase sex drive. Essential oil from anise seeds can stimulate immunity, as well as a digestion and milk secretion.
Anise has also been shown to have anti-cancer, antioxidative, antihemolytic, anti-inflammatory, antihyperglycemic, hypolipidemic. cytoprotective, as well a santi-ulcer and anti-osteoporosis characteristics.
Aniseed - the seed of the anise
