Star anise
Evergreen tree whose star-shaped fruit is a spice and drug precursor.
Star anise is the star-shaped fruit of Illicium verum, a medium-sized evergreen tree native to South China and northeast Vietnam.[1] The spice derived from the star-shaped pericarp of Illicium verum, gathered before full maturity, has a taste very similar to that of anise.[1] China is the leading producer of star anise, with Vietnam and other Southeast Asian nations also being significant cultivators.[1]
Quick Facts
- Genus
- Illicium
- Species
- verum
Facts from the source article.
Key facts and history
Chinese star anise has been used as a spice and medicine for over 3000 years.[2] In 1578, navigator Thomas Cavendish brought the first fruits from southern China to Europe via the Philippines.[2] Star anise contains anethole, the same compound that gives anise its flavor.[3] The Latin term illicio, meaning "entice" or "seduce", is the root of the genus name Illicium.[4]
The fruit is a reddish-brown, star-shaped aggregate of follicles, typically numbering six to eight, that are arranged in a whorl and resemble a capsule.[5] Shikimic acid, a key precursor for manufacturing the influenza medication oseltamivir (Tamiflu), is primarily obtained from star anise.[6] Roche Pharmaceuticals sourced up to 90% of the global star anise harvest annually for oseltamivir production via shikimic acid until 2012.[7] Illicium anisatum*, known as Japanese star anise, is poisonous and not fit for consumption because it contains the neurotoxin anisatin.[8]
What the cited sources add
The PlantUse account notes that Illicium verum is only known from cultivation, although semi-wild populations of abandoned plantations occur.[2] According to the same source, the oil is used as starting material for the production of synthetic oestrogens and perfumes.[2] Schönholzer's UZH News article reports that researchers Annuska Derks and Sarah Turner studied star anise supply chains in Vietnam, speaking with over a hundred people involved in growing, marketing, and selling the fruit.[9] The PlantUse account gives the normal use level of Chinese star anise essential oil as 5-10 mg per 100 g.[2]
The growing guide notes that star anise requires dappled shade and partial sun, and is vulnerable to frost.[10]
References
- Wikipedia, "Illicium verum" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Zou, "A Comprehensive Review of the Pharmacology, Chemistry, Traditional Uses and Quality Control of Star Anise (Illicium verum Hook. F.): An Aromatic Medicinal Plant", Molecules, 2023-11-01, p. 7378 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "Illicium verum", PlantUse. facts only, no text reused. uses.plantnet-project.org
- Wikipedia, "Illicium verum" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Galliano"; "Spaghetti Bolognese" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Illicium verum" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Gledhill, David (2008). "The Names of Plants". Cambridge University Press. (hardback), (paperback). pp 210, 400 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Illicium verum" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Illicium verum", PlantUse; "Illicium verum", PlantUse (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Illicium verum" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Bilal, "Metabolic engineering strategies for enhanced shikimate biosynthesis: current scenario and future developments", Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 16 July 2018, p. 7759–7773; "Oseltamivir (Tamiflu): Uses, Dosage, Side Effects", Drugs.com, 8 May 2018; Wang, "Illicium verum: A review on its botany, traditional use, chemistry and pharmacology", Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2011, p. 10–20; Bradley, "Star role for bacteria in controlling flu pandemic?", Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, Dec 2005, p. 945–946; Krämer, "Metabolic eng en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Illicium verum" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Schönholzer, "Dried Stars", UZH News, 15 March 2018 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Illicium verum" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Anisatin", PubChem, National Library of Medicine, US National Institutes of Health, 11 May 2019; Perret, "Malaise du nourrisson pensez à une intoxication à l'anis étoilé", Archives de Pédiatrie, 2011, p. 750–753 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Schönholzer, "Dried Stars", UZH News, 15 March 2018. facts only, no text reused. news.uzh.ch
- "How to grow star anise", 2015-10-28. facts only, no text reused. balconygardenweb.com
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Illicium verum (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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