The Star anise seeds are an excellent source of many essential B-complex vitamins also it’s an important source of minerals like calcium, iron, copper, potassium, manganese, zinc, and magnesium. 

Botanical Name: Illicium verum

Tamil Name: அண்ணாசி பூ – Annasi Poo

Malayalam Name: നക്ഷത്ര സോപ്പ് വിത്ത് – nakṣatra sēāpp vitt

Hindi Name: स्टार अनीस सीड – staar anees seed

Telugu Name: స్టార్ సోంపు సీడ్ – Sṭār sōmpu sīḍ

About Star Anise Seed:

Illicium verum is a medium-sized tree that has its native in northeast Vietnam and southwest China.

This is also called star anise, star anise seed, Chinese star anise, or badian which looks similar to anise in flavor.

This is obtained from the fruit of Illicium verum which is star-shaped pericarp.

This star anise oil is used in cooking, soaps, toothpaste, mouthwashes, skin creams, and perfumery and it is highly fragrant.

More than 90% of the star anise crop in the world is used for the extraction of shikimic acid which is used in the oseltamivir synthesis as a chemical intermediate.

Health Benefits of Anise

• Exotic anise spice has important chemical compounds which are said to have been antioxidant, disease-preventing, and promoting health properties.
• Anethole is a primary volatile oil that gives sweet, aromatic flavor to anise seed. Other important compounds include estragole, p-anisaldehyde, anise alcohol, acetophenone, pinene, and limonene.
• This anise seed oil is got from seeds that have many advantages in traditional medicines as a stomachic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, carminative, digestive, expectorant, stimulant, and tonic agent.
• These anise seeds are the main source of essential B-complex vitamins such as pyridoxine, niacin, riboflavin, and thiamin. Pyridoxine (vitamin B-6) increases GABA neurochemical levels in the brain.
• These spicy seeds are the most important source of minerals like calcium, iron, copper, potassium, manganese, zinc, and magnesium. 100g dry seeds have 39.90 mg or 42% required levels of iron for a day.
• Potassium helps to control heart rate and blood pressure which is an important component of cell and body fluids.
• Copper is a cofactor for so many enzymes including cytochrome C-oxidase and superoxide dismutase. This cofactor is also needed for the production of red blood cells. The spice also contains anti-oxidant vitamins such as vitamin-C and vitamin-A.

Medicinal use

• This anise seed is used in many traditional medicines as they have the ability in preventing disease and promoting health.
• Anise is a worthful remedy for asthma, bronchitis cough, and digestive disorders such as flatulence, bloating, colicky stomach pain, nausea, and indigestion.
• Anethole is an essential oil that has the estrogenic effect.
• Nursing mothers are prescribed to take decoction obtained from the seeds for breast-milk production. Anise seed water has the ability to relieve the running nose condition of infants.