A Multidimensional Review of Pimpinella anisum and Recommendation for Future Research to Face Adverse Climatic Conditions

Abstract

Anise, or Pimpinella anisum , has a long history of usage in traditional and alternative medicine, as well as in the pharmaceutical sector . The species is native to Southwest Asia, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean region. The current studies have revealed that wild and cultivated P. anisum are rich in bioactive compounds, such as phenols, tannins, carotenoids, and fatty acids. Different parts of P. anisum plant are used treatment of diseases, the treatment of pathogens for antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal purposes, and cosmetics. In this paper, we reviewed the current knowledge on geographical distribution, cultivation, chemical compounds, extraction methods, and agronomic and medicinal uses of Pimpinella anisum . Equally, we suggested guidelines for future research to fill the gap in less investigated issues. Data for this paper was gathered via electronic literature search on Google, Google Scholar, and databases counting, Science Direct, Scopus, Springer, PubMed, and Hindawi, from 1930 to 2022. Analyzed data show that Pimpinella anisum is currently recorded from Portugal on the Atlantic Ocean in the west to China in the East. With new extraction methods, such as Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction, scientists have explored the higher quantities of polyphenols, flavonoids, and antioxidants, and revealed new constituents such as trans-anethole and estragole found in essential oil fruits by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS). These compounds showed significant therapeutic benefits against diseases, pathogens, and cosmetic roles. However, with the current impacts of climate change on natural vegetation cover, more investigations are needed to understand how these affect the geographical distribution, metabolic aspects, and chemical properties of Pimpinella anisum. These are suggested to increase the value of the species and ensure its conservation.

Multi‐species for multifunctional grassland: Evaluation of minor and novel forage species for temperate humid grasslands

“…A. millefolium is native to temperate regions (Vélez-Gavilán, 2016) and T. pulegioides is a herb specialised to semi-natural grassland growing on infertile soils throughout Asia, North Africa and Europe (Vanden Broeck et al, 2015). P. anisum is native to the Mediterranean region and is cultivated in Asia and the Middle East (Soussi et al, 2023). P. saxifraga is used across Europe and is adapted to old calcareous grassland on infertile soil (Grime et al, 1988) that is managed under infrequent defoliation without fertilisation (Auestad et al, 2010).…”

Deep ethnobotanical survey of Anise (Pimpinella anisum L.) in Morocco: variation of therapeutic uses, sources of information, and efficacy

“…Recent research has demonstrated that anise seeds have antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsant, analgesic, and anti-diabetic properties (Sun et al 2019;Ghosh et al 2019;El-Rokiek et al 2020). These activities are offered by the diversity and quantity of chemical compounds recorded in this plant's essential oils and extracts (Sun et al 2019;Soussi et al 2022Soussi et al , 2023. For example, Anise is rich in anethole, used in the food, pharmaceutical, flavoring, and perfumery industry (Özcan and Chalchat 2006;Tuncturk and Yildirim 2011).…”

“…The perfume and flavour of anise are attributed to its well-known essential oil. Despite transanethole making up between 75 and 90 percent of anise oil, there are other components including coumarins (umbelliprenine, umbelliferone, bergapten, and scopoletin), flavonoids (flavonol, glycosides, isoorientin, flavone, rutin, and isovitexin), lipids (betaarmyrin, stigmasterol, fatty acids, and its salts), carbohydrates, and proteins (Picon et al 2010;Sun et al 2019;Soussi et al 2023). These compounds are behind the therapeutic and food benefits of anise.…”