The Forgotten Antiviral Herbal Anise in Risk and Treatment of Infectious Diseases

Kyle J. Norton

Essential oil Anise may have a potential and substantial effect in reduced risk and progression and treatment of viral infectious diseases, some scientists suggested.

Anise is a flowering plant ofthe species of Pimpinella anisum, genus Pimpinella, belongings to the family Apiaceae native to to Egypt and the Mediterranean region, used in traditional herbal medicine as fragrance in soaps, oils, and mouth fresheners and stomachic, anti-septic, anti-spasmodic, ….

Chemical comstituents
Anethole, D-pinene, I-phellandrene, Alpha-terpineol, Safrol, Methyl chavicol, Resin, Shikimic acid, etc.

In the investigation of the effects of several essential oils, including Anise in against expression of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) in vitro on RC-37 cells, using a plaque reduction assay, researchers found that application of essential oil of concentrations (IC50) at doses of 0.016%, 0.0075%, 0.007%, 0.004%, 0.003% and 0.0015% demonstrated significant effects linearly in ameliorately persistent infection spreading of sexually transmitted disease of the virus.

At maximum dose, essential oil of Ansie without inducing cytotoxicity to healthy cells, exerted an inhibitory effect against different stages aganist the viral infectious cycle and plaque formation by more than 90%.

Interestingly, all essential oils displayed no inhibitory effect prior to infection with HSV-2 or after the adsorption period.

These results suggested that injection of Ansis essential oil can only affect HSV-2 after penetrating into  the viral envelope.

In compared to the inhibitory effects of all essential oil, Anise exhibited a less selectivity activity in compared to essential oil isolated from chamomile.

Further demonstration of Anise anti viral activity, using 3 antiviral and immunostimulating substances (LC1, LC2 and LC3) isolated from a hot water extract of seeds of Pimpinella anisum by combination of anion-exchange, gel filtration and hydrophobic interaction column chromatographies researchers at the University of Toyama suggested that the lignin and carbohydrate molecules(CLs) bonded physically or chemically with each other of LC1, LC2 and LC3 exerted a significantly antiviral activities in reduced expression of herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and -2), human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) and measles virus.

Moreover, application of all LCs substances inhibited the virus induced-adsorption to the host cell surface by direct inactivating the viruses penetration through enhanced nitric oxide (NO) production by inducing iNOS mRNA and protein expression in RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells in response to viral attacks.

These result of rival inhibitory effect of Anise LCs substances not only prevented virus in alternated the healthy cells DNA in initiated infectious cell proliferation but also inhibited production of interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) and interleukin 10 caused by over reaction of immune response in elevated expression of pro inflammatory cytokines in induction of healthy cell damage and cell apoptosis.

The above differentiation were supported by the study in the evaluated the effect of limonene, the major bioactive compound found in Fennel and Ansie in inhibited risk and progression and treatment  of dengue, a potentially fatal mosquito-borne infection of 50 million cases per year with 2.5 billion people who are vulnerable to the disease.

According to the results, application of essential oil using WHO procedures, displayed a substantial effect against third instar larvae of Ae. aegypti for 24 h.

More specifically, the result of inhibition of over 99% of tested virus were attributed to major constituent (-)-limonene at lethal concentrations LC50, C90 and LC99.

Taken together, Anise and its major bioactive monoterpenes may be considered as a possessed potency as functional food ingredients against infectious diseases cause by viral invasion.

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Author Biography
Kyle J. Norton (Scholar, Master of Nutrients, All right reserved)
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published on line, including world wide health, ezine articles, article base, healthblogs, selfgrowth, best before it’s news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada – Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma and Bio science, ISSN 0975-6299.

Sources
(1) Antiviral and immunostimulating effects of lignin-carbohydrate-protein complexes from Pimpinella anisum by Lee JB1, Yamagishi C, Hayashi K, Hayashi T.(PubMed)
(2) Inhibitory effect of essential oils against herpes simplex virus type 2. by Koch C1, Reichling J, Schneele J, Schnitzler P.(PubMed)
(3) Larvicidal activity against Aedes aegypti of Foeniculum vulgare essential oils from Portugal and Cape Verde by Rocha DK, Matosc O, Novoa MT, Figueiredo AC, Delgado M, Moiteiro C.(PubMed)