Illicium verum fruit/seed oil is a pale yellow essential oil with a potent anise aroma, derived from the fruit and seeds of the Chinese Star Anise (Illicium verum). We use this ingredient as a fragrance component in some of our products.

Illicium verum is a species of evergreen tree native to Vietnam and China. Trees bear purple-red flowers and produce distinctive small star-shaped fruit, which house the seeds. Both seeds and hard fruit can be used to produce the spice known as star anise, or steam-distilled to produce the essential oil.

Star anise oil has a licorice-like fragrance, which comes from its main constituent anethole - the same compound that gives anise (Pimpinella anisum) its distinctive flavour. Star anise oil is used in perfumery, toothpastes, mouthwashes, soaps and skincare and is reported to have some antifungal activity.

Botanical name: Illicium verum

Other names: Aniseed Oil, Anise Oil; Anise, Star Oil (Illicium verum Hook, F.); Star Anise Oil, Uikyo Yu (JPN)

Chemical class: Essential Oils and Waters

Main constituents: (Fruit Oil) Anethole, Limonene, Chavicol, Anisaldehyde

REFERENCES

Wei, L., Hua, R., Li, M., Huang, Y., Li, S., He, Y., & Shen, Z. (2014). Chemical composition and biological activity of star anise Illicium verum extracts against maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais adults. Journal of insect science (Online), 14, 80. https://doi.org/10.1093/jis/14.1.80

Huang, Y., Zhao, J., Zhou, L., Wang, J., Gong, Y., Chen, X., Guo, Z., Wang, Q., & Jiang, W. (2010). Antifungal activity of the essential oil of Illicium verum fruit and its main component trans-anethole. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 15(11), 7558–7569. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules15117558

Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2022-01-04. tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Illicium+verum

TGSC Information System (2021). Illicium verum fruit/seed oil. http://www.thegoodscentscompany.com/data/vg1743261.html