| Chemical Properties | Fennel oil is obtained by steam distillation of the aerial parts of Foeniculum
vulgare Mill. ssp. vulgare var. vulgare (bitter fennel). It is a colorless to pale
yellow liquid with a camphoraceous, sweet–spicy odor and a slightly bittersweet
camphoraceous taste, d2020 0.944–0.973; n20D 1.514–1.538; α20D +11 ° to +29 °.
The main constituents are monoterpene hydrocarbons such as ??-phellandrene
(0–8.5%) and limonene (1–6%), fenchone (10–25%), estragole (1–6%), and
(E)-anethole (50–78%). With increasing maturity of the fruits, the content
of monoterpenes decreases. The ripe fruits yield an oil with 50–70% anethole and
5–25% fenchone. In contrast, the oil of the ripe fruits of sweet fennel (F. vulgare
Mill. ssp. vulgare var. dulce) contains less than 5% fenchone and more than 75% anethole.
Fennel oil is produced mainly in Hungary, Tasmania, North Africa, and India
in a quantity of few 10 t/yr. In total. It is used in flavoring oral care products and
alcoholic beverages (anise liqueurs). |
| Chemical Properties | The oil is obtained by steam distillation of the seeds Fennel sweet oil has a characteristic anise odor. |
| Chemical Properties | The oil is obtained by steam distillation of the dried, comminuted seeds in varying yields, usually from 2 5 to 6 5%, depending on the plant origin It has an aromatic, spicy odor and an initially slightly bitter, camphoraceous, then sweet, favor. |
| Physical properties | It is a colorless to pale-yellow liquid. |
| Physical properties | It is a yellowish-green liquid. |
| Occurrence | Found in the plant Foeniculum vulgare Thellung (Fam. Umbelliferae) (Guenther, 1950). |
| Uses | Flavoring agent in foods and pharmaceuticals. Fennel Oil can be used in eye washes and in facial steams to soothe and clean skin.
|
| Preparation | By steam distillation of the seeds of Foeniculum vulgare (Fenarolfs Handbook of Flavor Ingredients, 1971). |
| Definition | Extractives and their physically modified derivatives. Foeniculum vulgare, Umbelliferae. |
| Essential oil composition | The main constituents of the oil include anethole, d-phellandrene and d-limonene. |
| Essential oil composition | The oil contains up to 90% trans-anethole and up to 20% fenchone and small amounts of limonene,
α-pinene, camphor and additional volatile compounds. |
| Safety Profile | Moderately toxic by
ingestion. Mutation data reported. A severe
skin irritant. When heated to decomposition
it emits acrid smoke and irritating fumes. |
