Fennel Pharmacology Pharmacognosy

1. FOENICULUM
VULGARE

2. Fennel

3. Introduction
 Botanical name: Foeniculum vulgare
 Family: umbelliferae
 English Name: Fennel, sweet fennel, bitter fennel
 Urdu Name : saunf
 Part Used: dried ripe fruit
 Chemical class: volatile oils

4. Sweet fennel Bitter fennel
 Sweet fennel is derived
from F.vulgare subsp.
Vulgare var. dulce.
 Sweet fennnel contains
more than
80%anethole
10%estragole and less
than 5% fenchone.
 Bitter fennel is derived
from dried ripe fruit of
F. vulgare ,subsp.
Vulgare,var. vulgare
 Bitter fennel contains
60%anethole,10-30%
fenchone and less
amount of estragole.
Types of fennel

5. Chemical constituents:
Major constituents:
anethole
Other constituents:
fenchone
limonene
Estragol
Volatile oils
Anisic acid
Anisic aldehyde
Salts Na,K,P
Coumarin
vitamins A&C

6. Uses
 Anethole is used as anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory
 Fennel is used as carminatives
 Fennel contains Vitamin C which is used as anti-oxidant.
 Coumarin shows anti-coaggulant effect.
 Fennel has bronchodilatory effect.
 Anethole may influence milk secretions.
 Salts containing Phosphorous lowers the level of sodium
which is essential for maintaining the blood pressure.

7. Cont…
 As flavourant.
 Use in perfumes and soap preparation.

8. Mechanism of action
 on account of its carminative properties fennel water
ha similar properties with those of dill water mixed
with sodium-bi-carbonate and syrup ,these water
constitute the domestic “Gripe Water”used to correct
flatulence of infants.
 Vitamin C is body’s primary water –soluble anti-
oxidant,which is able to neutralize the free radicals
in all aqueous environment of body.
 Fennel ha bronchodilatory effect due to potassium
channel opening effect.

9. Cont…
 Anethole's effects may be mediated by modulation of
tumor necrosis factor (TNF) - induced cellular
responses, controls the expression of some genes
involved in carcinogenesis and inflammation
 Coumarin competitively inhibit vitamin K and
interfere with blood clotting.

10. Side effects
 Nausea
 Vomiting
 Allergic reactions
 Cause convulsions

11. Drug interaction
 Ciprofloxacin interacts with fennel.
ciprafloxacin is an anti-biotic.taking along with
fennel decrease its effectiveness.so take fennel
atleast after one hour of taking ciprofloxacin.
 Estrogen interacts with fennel. large amount of
fennel might have same effect as of estrogen so
taking fennel along with estrogen pills decreases the
effect of estrogen pills.

12. Cont…
 Tamoxafen interacts with fennel. Some types of
cancers are effected by hormones in body such as:
estrogen-sensitive cancer that are effected by
estrogen level in body.temoxifen is used to treat
cancer.fennel seems to effect estrogen level in body.
So taking temoxifen with fennel decrease the
effectiveness of temoxifen.

13. Contraindications
 During pregnancy and breast feeding it is best to
avoid use . because infants experienced damage to
their nervous system.
 Fennel cause allergic reaction in people who are skin
sensitive so do not use fennel.
 Fennel might slow blood clotting so taking fennel
might increase the risk of bleeding in people with
bleeding disorders

14. Dosage
 Adult PO fluid extract: 3-6ml/day
 Adult PO essential oil: 5-20 drops/day
 Adult PO fennel compound tincture:5-7.5g daily.
 Adult PO herb 5-7g daily.
 Toxicology
 Fennel oil is genotoxic in the Bacillus subtilis DNA
repair test. Estragole, present in the volatile oil, has
caused tumors in animals

15. References
 www.sigmaaldrich.com (MOA)
 www.m.webmd.com (side effects)
 Mosby”s handbook of herb&natural suplements.
 www.drugs.com
 Drugs.laws.com