The fruits, commonly referred to as seeds, are ridged, aromatic and oblong or ellipsoid shaped. The dried fruits and aerial parts have widely been used since ancient times in culinary and traditional folk medicines in many cultures around the world. It was well-known to the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans and Chinese.
The fennel plant originated in the southern Mediterranean region and through naturalization and cultivation it grows wild throughout the Northern, Eastern, and Western hemi-spheres, specifically in Asia, North America, and Europe. It is cultivated in fields and also grows wild.
Fennel fruits contain carbohydrates, alkaloids, phytosterols, phenols, tannins and flavonoids. Every 100 g edible portion of fennel seeds contain on average: 8.8 g water; 15.8 g protein; 14.9 g fat; 36.6 g carbohydrate; 15.7 g fibre; and 8.2 g ash (containing 1.2 g Ca, 19 mg Fe, 1.7 g K, 385 mg Mg, 88 mg Na, 487 mg P and 28 mg Zn). Every 100 g contains: vitamin A (135 IU); niacin (6 mg); thiamine (0.41 mg); and riboflavin (0.35 mg); with an energy value of about 1440 kJ.
The principal constituents of the essential oil extracted are anethole (50–60 %) and fenchone (15–20 %) (Fig. 14.1). The essential oil extracted is mainly composed of (E)-anethole, (Z)-anethole and α-thujone.
Pharmacologically, the fruits possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, diuretic, antihypertensive, antimicrobial, Gastro protective, estrogenic, Hepatoprotective and antithrombotic activities.
Fennel seeds
nutrient content and oil extraction
