Anise

ANISE, Fructus Anisi vulgaris from Pimpinella Anisum, of the family Umbelliferae, is an annual herbaceous plant with a whitish, thin root and a green, erect stem. It blooms in July and August. Anise is cultivated in large quantities both abroad and in the USSR; the best anise is obtained from the Voronezh Governorate. Since ancient times, the fruits of anise—so-called anise seed—and the essential oil obtained by distilling the fruits with water have been used for medical purposes. This oil is a colorless or slightly yellowish liquid, with a specific gravity of 0.980–0.990, solidifying at a temperature of +10°, and possessing a characteristic anise odor and a sweetish, pungent taste. Anise oil has a toxic effect on small animals and on plant and animal parasites, which is why it is used as an antiparasitic agent. It is also used as an expectorant, a stimulant for intestinal action, a galactagogue, and a carminative, as well as to improve the taste and odor of other medicines. The fruits of anise—Fructus Anisi vulgaris—are included in the composition of Hufeland's infant powder (Pulvis infantum Hufelandi), Saint-Germain laxative tea (Species laxantes St. Germain), compound sarsaparilla decoction (Decoctum sarsaparillae compositum fortius), and pectoral tea (Species pectorales). From the fruits of anise, anise syrup (Sirupus Anisi), anise tincture (Tinctura Anisi), and anise oil (Oleum Anisi vulgaris) are prepared; the latter is included in the composition of ammonia-anise solution (Liquor ammonii anisatus), licorice elixir (Elixir cum extracto Glycyrrhizae), opium tincture with benzoic acid (Tinctura opii benzoica), and anise oil-sugar (Elaeosaccharum Anisi). Anise is of great importance in the production of vodkas and liqueurs. The fruits of star anise or badian (Fructus Anisi stellati from Illicium verum, of the family Magnoliaceae), found in China, are hard fruits with flattened, shiny seeds, having an aromatic odor and a sweetish, slightly pungent taste. The fruits of star anise contain a fatty oil and an essential oil similar to that of anise (Oleum Anisi stellati) and act similarly to the fruits of anise. Japanese star anise or the fruits of shikimi (Illicium religiosum, from the family Magnoliaceae), growing in Japan and China, contains a poisonous substance in its seeds—shikimin—which is similar in action to picrotoxin; 0.012 of this substance causes dogs to die within 1–2 hours with symptoms of convulsions, dyspnea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Its essential oil contains no anethole at all.