Star-anise

ANETHOLE Up to 90+% in anise seed oil, 70+% in fennel and star anise oils, and in varying amounts in betel leaf, dill seed, carrot seed and coriander oils. 

ANISALOEHYDE In small amounts (less than 5%) in anise, cumin, fennel and star anise oils. 

METHYLCHAVICOL Up to 80+% in most basil, chervil and fennel oils. In small amounts in star anise and wormwood. 

The star anise (I//icium verumHook E.) is from a smaH evergreen tree, native to southwest China. When ripe, the hard brown fmits of this tree open up into an eight-pointed star, hence the name. The flavor and aroma of this spice is similar to that of P. anisum, the essential oils are of similar composition. The uses are similar but more localized. 

Badflfissigkeit, /. bath liquid, bath solution. Badian, m. Chinese anise, star anise, badian Illicium verum). -ol, n. star anise oil. badisch, a. of Baden. — badische Saure, badische acid, 2-naphthylamine-8-sulfonic acid. 

Anacardic acid Anacardium occidentalle L Anisoxide Star anise oil... 

Sassafras, nutmeg, mace, star anise, cinnamon. Safrole ... 

C10H12O, Mr 148.20, tranx isomer pioi.vkPa 234°C, pi.6kPa H5°C, df 0.9883, 1.5615, occurs both as its cis and trans isomers in nature however, /ran -anethole is always the main isomer. Anethole occurs in anise oil (80-90%), star anise oil (>90%), and fennel oil (80%). 

Anethole can be crystallized from oils in which it occurs as a major component (star anise and sweet fennel oils), and estragole containing oils (e.g., basilicum oil). 

The oil was formerly produced in many countries, mainly in eastern Europe, but has now been replaced, to a large extent, by the less expensive star anise and fennel oils which also contain a high percentage of anethole. 

Star anise oil is obtained by steam distillation of the star-shaped fruits of Illicium verum Hook. f. (Illiciaceae), an evergreen tree growing in Vietnam and China. It is a colorless to pale yellow liquid, which solidifles on cooling. 

The main component of star anise oil, as in anise oil, is /rans-anethole (86 93%) [779 782bj. Pure anethole can be obtained by rectiflcation (see p. 127). Star anise oil has replaced true anise oil derived from Pimpinella anisum in the production of natural anethole. 

Star anise oil and its product, anethole, are used primarily in the alcoholic beverage industry (anise liquors), but also for flavoring food and oral care products. FCT 1975 (13) p.715 [68952-43-2], [84650-59-9]. 

Another example is the synthesis of anisaidehyde from anethole obtained from star anise oil from the fruit and leaves of lllicium verum. Anethole can be oxidised, for instance, by chromic acid (a mixture of sodium dichromate and sulfuric acid) to anisaidehyde (Scheme 13.7). Star anise oil is produced in China in annual quantities of 500-800 t [3]. 

Star anise oil trans-Anethol Beverage and confectionery flavours... 

There are also a few /3-lactone structures in natural products. Two toxic compounds, anisatin and neoanisatin, were isolated from a toxic plant, Japanese star anise, and have been assigned to the /8-lactone-containing structures (72) and (73), respectively. These structures are based on extensive study of spectral data and chemical transformations (68T199). 

Illicium verum Hook f. Ba Jiao Hui Xiang (Star anise) (fruit) Anethol, anisaldehyde, safrole, anisic ketone.33 Capable of warming the viscera and expelling cold. 

Illicium lanacedatum A. S. Smith Hong Hui Xiang Gen (Japanese star anise) (fruit) Anisatin, neoanisatin, shikimic acid, pseudoanisatin 33 This herb is toxic. ... 

Badiane (see Star Anise) Birch (bark and twigs). 1-180-1-187 0 217-221 5-8 ... 

Star anise Illicium verum (Illiciaceae) ripe fruit 5-8 anethole (80-90) estragole (1-6) flavour, carminative fruits contain substantial amounts of shikimic and quinic acids... 

It is made by the oxidation of anethole (the chief constituent of anise, star anise, and fennel oils). 

Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) is derived from shikimic acid, itself extracted from various plant sources (e.g., Quinic acid ex the bark of various Cinchona trees and Shikimic acid ex the Star Anise plant). 

Shikimic acid (for Tamiflu) can be produced from genetically engineered bacteria as a less threatening alternative to harvesting from Star Anise (work of Professor John W. Frost and co-workers, Michigan State University, New York Times, Business Section, November 5,2005.)... 

Star anise Illicium verum Hooker fil. Fruit China, North Vietnam... 

In star anise, the presence of a prenyl moiety in the phenylpropanoids plays an important role in antitumour-promoting activity. Hence, the prenylated phenylpropanoids might be valuable as a potential cancer chemopreventive agent (Padmashree et al., 2007). 

Padmashree, A., Roopa, N., Semwal, A.D., Sharma, G.K., Agathian, G. and Bawa, A.S. (2007) Star-anise (lllicium verum) and black caraway (Carum nigrum) as natural antioxidants. Food Chemistry 104(1), 59-66. 

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