Beauty

Description

Anise is an essential oil, which is obtained from the plant of the same name or its crushed fruits by steam distillation. Anise ordinary from the Umbelliferae family was used in ancient Egypt. This annual plant loves a warm climate: it needs sunny, windless places and light soils.

Essential oil is produced mainly from anise, which grows in India, Spain, Mexico, Italy, Turkey and China. Quite often, this product is confused or mixed with another similar remedy — star anise essential oil.

The process of producing oil from common anise begins by soaking the plant in water for 12-24 hours. At the same time, the anise is not crushed, since the oil from it, as a result of contact with air, is rather quickly and easily resinified.

When fresh, anise essential oil is a colorless or light yellowish liquid, but it darkens over time. In conditions of slight cold, this product freezes, and if it is boiled a couple of times, it will never freeze again — even with the strongest cooling. The same changes occur with anise oil and in the case of its long-term storage.

The taste of this remedy is sweetish and somewhat burning, and the smell is strong, aniseed (characteristically pronounced). Anise oil is poorly soluble in water, but well — in alcohol. It must be stored in a tightly sealed vessel, in a cool and dark place so that it does not tar.

Chemical composition

This tool for the most part (about 85%) consists of anethole. This substance has a more pleasant taste and fragrance than even anise oil itself. About 10% of this product is methylchavicol, and the remaining 5% is a number of substances, including limonene, α-phellandrene, dipentene, camphene, α-pinene, curcumene, γ-bisabolene, γ-himahalene, anisketone, β-farnesene, anisic aldehyde, n-creosol, acids (butyric, propionic, anisic and myristic), sulfur-containing compounds, etc.

Application

Anise oil is widely used in the food industry, in particular in baking, confectionery, as well as in the meat and fish industries. Mostly it is added to sweet dishes and pastries, for example, in muffins or fruit salads. This tool is quite actively used in medicine. Since anise oil has antiseptic properties, it is added to ammonia-anise drops. Anisaldehyde is also produced from this product.

In addition, fragrant anise oil is used in perfumery and in fragrances for tooth powders and pastes. And in recent years, this tool has been in high demand among amateur fishermen: they use anise oil to make baits.

Medicinal properties of anise oil

This product has anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic and expectorant qualities. Anise oil causes reflex excitation of breathing and enhances the secretions of the mucous membranes of the bronchi, larynx and trachea. It promotes liquefaction, expectoration and rapid removal from the body of sputum and other products of inflammation of the mucous membrane of the respiratory system. Preparations based on anise oil are especially effective in diseases of the respiratory organs complicated by various bacterial flora. These funds are recommended for the treatment of laryngitis, bronchitis, bronchopneumonia, tracheitis, whooping cough in children.

Since anise oil increases the motor and secretory functions of the digestive apparatus, it is prescribed for deterioration of hepatic or gastric secretion, flatulence and convulsive bowel spasms. Anise essential oil reduces pain and perfectly restores intestinal motility.

This product also has a general stimulating and carminative effect. It is taken for nervous dyspepsia, dizziness, increased excitability of the cardiovascular system, painful menstruation, impotence.

For “sweet dreams”, anise oil is used in aroma lamps along with oils from Romanesque chamomile, bitter orange and lemon balm.

Contraindications

Individual intolerance.

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