Abstract

Fennel (Foenirulum vulgare) is recommended traditionally for gastrointestinal and neurological disorder, kidney stones, vomiting and diarrhoea, it has also antispasmodic, antiseptic, carminative and antiulcer properties Fennel is rich in vegetable and volatile oils. Plant seeds can be processed into high quality vegetable or essential oils, the remaining portion may find various profitable applications due to their phytochemicals content and antioxidant activity. Besides its nutritional benefits, fennel oil has several positive effects on the skin according to its richness in Mono Unsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFAs) and especially petroselinic acid which can resolve some skin problems, such as dryness. Actually, oilseeds are easily biodegradable and skin lipid compatible and thus, their using in cream formulas could reduce the use of synthetic oil such as paraffin oil. Fennel seed oil is no less important than coriander seed oil in terms of yield and composition as oil yield did not exceed 25.1% with 78.2% of petroselinic acid. Sensory analysis confirmed the positive impact of fennel oils on the cream sensory characteristics oral administration of essential oil and anethole is also significantly protective against ethanol-induced gastric lesions. Water extract shows reno protective effects in polycystic ovary syndrome and prevents ovariectomy-induced bone loss, reducing both osteoclast differentiation and function. It is one of the commonly used plants to lower blood pressure that acts by causing diuresis, increasing excretion of sodium and water from the body. The essential oil of aerial parts also exhibited potential anxiolytic activity. Ethanol extract, and essential oil also significantly produce relaxant effect on methacholineinduced contraction of tracheal chains; calcium channels inhibition was not a contributing mechanism of the relaxant effect. Fennel supplementation in diet protected against cyclosporine-nephrotoxicity and the essential oil potently protected against ccl4-hepatotoxicity. Drinking fennel tea followed by buffet lunch in overweight women significantly decreased appetite and food consumption, and increased feeling of fullness. Treatment with fennel extract or essence of fennel’s fruit effectively relieved menstrual pain, comparable to mefenamic acid. Topical application of 5% and 8% fennel oil-containing aerosol and cream produced 84% and 70% repellence against mosquitoes after 90min of exposure, respectively.

Keywords:Pharmaceutical; Fennel; Carbohydrates; Nutritional; Polyunsaturated fatty acids