Description
Herbaceous, perennial plant, native to the Mediterranean regions; it grows wild or cultivated almost everywhere - central Europe, India, Argentina, and the United States. Only the cultivated plant is used for extractive purposes. The plant closely resembles sweet fennel, F. vulgare Mill. var. dulce, with the exception of having somewhat larger seeds. Also sweet fennel does not grow wild; it is cultivated only. The green parts of the plant, dried seeds, and roots are used. Fennel, common has a warm, camphoraceous odor with a bitter, slightly burning flavor.
The essential oil is obtained by steam distillation of the dried, comminuted seeds in varying yields, usually from 2.5 to 6.5%, depending on the plant origin. It is a colorless to pale-yellow liquid with an aromatic, spicy odor and an initially slightly bitter, camphoraceous, then sweet flavor.
The main constituents include d-pinene, camphene, d-α-phellan- drene, dipentene, 50 to 60% anethole, fenchone, methyl chavicol, aldehydes, and anisic acid. Also 2,3- or 1,3-dimethyl butadiene has been identified in a seed oil originally from South Dakota. The essential oil distilled from green parts of the plant (herb oil) containsd-oc-phellandrene, pinene, a small amount of anethole, methyl chavicol, fenchone, and other substances
.
The derivatives are hydroalcoholic tinctures and fluid extract (from the seeds and roots).
Chemical Properties
Fennel is an herbaceous, perennial plant, native to the Mediterranean regions; it grows wild or cultivated almost every- where—central Europe, India, Argentina, and the United States Only the cultivated plant is used for extractive purposes The plant closely resembles sweet fennel, with the exception of having somewhat larger seeds Also, sweet fennel does not grow wild; it is culti- vated only A number of subspecies have been identifed and their names add to the potential confusion surrounding the terminology of fennel plants The green parts of the plant, dried seeds and roots are used Fennel common has a warm, camphoraceous odor with a bitter, slightly burning favor.
Uses
fennel extract (Foeniculum vulgare) is described as a cleanser and detoxifier indicated for oily skin types. The principal constituents of fennel oil are anethol and fenchone, plus d-pinene, phellandrine, anisic acid, and anisic aldehyde. Anethol, also a main constituent of anise oil, may produce hives, scaling, and blisters when applied directly to the skin. The therapeutic properties of fennel oil are most probably because of fenchone, and so only the varieties of fennel that contain a good proportion of fenchone are suitable for therapeutic use. Fennel oil is obtained from a distillation of the seeds.
Essential oil composition
The essential oils evidenced five chemical groups characterized by (1) α-phellandrene, methyl chavicol
and trans-anethole; (2) α-pinene, limonene and trans-anethole; (3) methyl chavicol and α-phellandrene; (4) methyl chavicol and
α-pinene; and (5) α-phellandrene. The main constituents of common fennel include d-pinene, camphene, d-alpha-phellandrene,
dipentene, 50 to 60% anethole, fenchone, methyl chavicol, aldehydes and anisic acid. Also 2,3- or 1,3-dimethyl butadiene has been
identified in a seed oil originally from South Dakota. The essential oil distilled from green parts of the plant (herb oil) contains
d-alpha-phellandrene, pinene, a small amount of anethole, methyl chavicol, fenchone and other substances.
