Species of the genus Fennel, family - Umbelliferae. Another popular name is dill and Voloshsky. Its popularity was great in Ancient Greece and the Romans, who suggested that the smell of fennel made a person strong, could ward off evil spirits and kill fleas, as well as freshen the air.

Fennel fruits have a sweetish taste and pleasant smell. The seeds are small, oval, greenish-brown in color. The Puritans often chewed them during meetings, calling fennel "seed of meetings."

Fennel: description

Fennel is a perennial herbaceous plant. Height - from 90 to 200 cm. In appearance it resembles dill, and in taste and aroma it is similar to anise, only sweeter.

The fennel stem is straight, branched with a blue bloom. The leaves are pinnate with thread-like lobules. The flowers are placed at the very top, looking like complex flat umbrellas. The flowering time of the plant is July-August. It begins to bear fruit in late summer.

The fruit is a naked, almost cylindrical bifid caryopsis, which splits into two semi-fruits, the length of which is 4-10 mm, the width is 3 mm. The color of fennel seeds is greenish-brown. The smell is specific and strong.

What is fennel rich in?

Synonym: pharmaceutical dill. The fruit contains a large amount of essential oil (3-6%), which contains up to 60% anethole and proteins. Fatty oil consists of petroselinic (60%), oleic (22%) and other acids.

Fennel grass is rich in glycosides, it contains ascorbic acid, carotene, minerals and B vitamins.

Fruits and contraindications

Thanks to elements such as magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron and others, the plant has a variety of beneficial properties. It may act as a diuretic. The herb and fennel fruits are capable of performing a disinfectant and antispasmodic function. These properties manifest themselves so mildly during treatment that dill preparations are prescribed even to infants for flatulence. The dose for very young children should be prescribed by a doctor.

Fennel fruits are a good expectorant. They tend to have a beneficial effect on the nervous system, calming it during times of severe stress and aggressive behavior. Reviews about this gift of nature from traditional healers, doctors and ordinary people are only positive, but only if the plant is used correctly.

Application in official medicine

Official medicine often uses products that include fennel. This includes tinctures and medicinal teas, which have proven themselves to be good in the following cases:

• in the treatment of respiratory diseases;
• to normalize digestion;
• for the treatment of heart and vascular diseases;
• to improve the taste of other medicines.

The herb and fennel fruit are an antibacterial agent. “Dill water” has long been known to women; they gave it to babies for spastic colitis and flatulence. Such water can increase the secretion of glands and regulate intestinal motor function.

Official medicine includes fennel fruits in anti-asthma preparations, the beneficial properties of which are very noticeable in them. The drug “Anetin” is obtained from it, where the entire amount of beneficial substances of the plant is used. The drug is widely used in therapy in the treatment of heart failure and spastic colitis.

Features of the use of fennel fruits in folk medicine

Even Hippocrates and Avicenna recognized the healing properties of dill. The fruits, which were found in homeopathy and partly in official medicine, are now also highly valued by traditional medicine. The power of this plant is in demand in various cases.

Fennel is good for bloating of the stomach, during menstrual pain, for inflammation of the eyes, for the treatment of diseases of the liver and biliary tract, as an antispasmodic in the treatment of asthmatic attacks and whooping cough, and for headaches due to poor digestion.

You can defeat neurasthenia by steaming with a fennel broom or using this plant in the form of an infusion.

Traditional recipes for fennel remedies

Most often in the practice of traditional medicine, fennel fruits are taken for the preparation of medicinal preparations, the use of which is very widespread. The easiest way is to make an infusion at home. This is 2 teaspoons of crushed raw materials, poured a glass of boiling water and left for 10 minutes. The strained medicinal product is taken warm, 50-100 ml three times a day before meals. It is very good. A similarly prepared infusion, with only half a liter of water and a tablespoon of fennel, has proven itself well in the treatment of respiratory diseases.

Here are some more traditional medicine recipes. To treat indigestion, a mixture of medicinal plants is prepared: fennel and caraway fruits - 10 g each, peppermint, navel flowers and lemon balm leaves - 20 g, 15 g each, wormwood herb - 5 g. All ingredients must be crushed and mixed, then Brew one teaspoon of the mixture with a cup of boiling water. Drink three to four cups per day. You need to take it until complete recovery.

Recipe for improving lactation in nursing women. Grind:

• sprouted barley seeds;
• the entire above-ground part of oats;
• hops (cones);
• galega (flowers);
• fenugreek (seeds);
• dill;
• anise;
• caraway.

Everything is taken in equal parts. Brew two tablespoons of the mixture with 0.5 liters of boiling water. To be effective, you need to drink about 1.5 liters of infusion per day.

Recipe for spasm relief. Pour a glass of boiling water over a teaspoon of a medicinal mixture consisting of fennel seeds, anise, linden and poppy flowers, taken in equal parts. Strain after 10 minutes and drink the day before, adding honey.

Fennel for weight loss

It has been used for weight loss since the time of Hippocrates. Fennel fruits are especially valuable. This plant has many qualities due to which it is considered indispensable during weight loss. Fennel helps calm hunger, reduces sugar cravings, and speeds up metabolism. To overcome increased appetite, you just need to chew the seeds of the plant - and the desire to deviate from the diet will immediately disappear.

To get rid of extra pounds, tea containing fennel (fruit) is very useful. Instructions for preparation and use are as follows. Pour 750 ml of boiling water over two teaspoons of nettle and one teaspoon of fennel fruit, keep on low heat for 15 minutes and leave covered for another 15 minutes. Drink one glass of this decoction during the day in four doses, drink before meals.

Next recipe. Grind fennel fruits, mint leaves, linden and chamomile flowers and mix. Pour a teaspoon of the medicinal mixture into a glass (200 ml) of boiling water and leave for 20 minutes. Drink the infusion at one time. You need to do this for a week. This remedy will help you feel better during your diet, calm your nerves and reduce your appetite.

You won’t be able to lose weight by taking fennel itself; it can only be an assistant during diets, relieve excessive appetite and awaken a dormant metabolism.

How is fennel used in cooking?

Fennel is valuable not only as a medicine, but also as a spice that can give dishes a unique, special taste and specific aroma. Fennel is valued in cooking all over the world. Pharmaceutical dill is added to soups, salads, appetizers, and independent dishes are prepared from it. During harvesting, fennel seeds are dried, crushed, and then used as a seasoning for fish and meat. They make delicious tea.

Green fennel fruits are also suitable for consumption. They are added to veal, lamb and fish dishes.

Fennel fruits: contraindications

The main contraindication is fennel intolerance and hypersensitivity, when a person may experience dizziness and nausea just from the smell of the plant.

Excessive consumption of fennel for people with epilepsy is very dangerous. This can be fatal. Pregnant women and nursing mothers are recommended to use it only with the permission of a doctor.

Common fennel- a perennial herbaceous plant of the Umbelliferae family. The root is thick, fleshy, spindle-shaped. The stem is erect, finely grooved, round, with a bluish coating, highly branched at the top, up to 2 meters high. The leaves are bluish, dissected into long narrow, almost thread-like lobules, turning at the base into a grooved petiole. Small, yellow flowers form an inflorescence - a complex umbrella with a diameter of up to 20 cm. The fruit is an oblong greenish-brown two-seed, 6-14 mm long, 3-4 mm thick with five ribs. Externally, fennel is very similar to dill (which is why it is often called pharmaceutical dill), but its smell and taste are not dill at all, but rather anise-like. It blooms in June-August, the fruits ripen in July-September. Pollinated by insects. A good honey plant.

In cultivation, fennel is a one-biennial plant. Loves warmth and light, undemanding to soils. Propagated by seeds, less often by dividing the bush. The row spacing is 45 cm, the distance between plants is 12-15 cm. Seeds begin to germinate at a temperature of 6-8 degrees Celsius. Shoots appear in 12-14 days. Tolerates frosts down to -8 degrees Celsius. The fruits fall off easily. Fennel seeds are harvested when the fruits on the central umbrella are dry and those on the second-order umbrellas are not yet ripe.

It is believed that the birthplace of fennel is Italy. In fact, both in Ancient Rome and in medieval Italian cities, fennel was well known and was used not only as an aromatic additive to food, but also primarily as a medicine (a remedy for lung diseases, urolithiasis, and also as a carminative ). Its antibacterial properties were also known, due to the high content of essential oils in all parts of the plant.

Nowadays, fennel is grown in all parts of the world except the Arctic and Antarctica. Wild fennel can be found in the Crimea and the Caucasus.

There are two types of cultivated fennel: common fennel (pharmacy or Voloshsky dill) and Italian - vegetable. Vegetable fennel has a fleshier stem.

Fennel contains a large amount of vitamin C - 50-90 mg%, carotene - 6-10 mg%, vitamins B, E, PP. Fennel fruits are used in medicine in many countries, including the USSR. The leaves are used for medicinal purposes in France, the roots in Portugal. The seeds are a good cough remedy. Many people know “dill water”, which is given to children when there is an accumulation of gases. But not everyone knows that this water has nothing in common with dill and is prepared from fennel. The fact is that fennel is popularly called pharmaceutical dill for its similarity to a garden plant and high medicinal properties.


In Indian medicine, the fruits are used as a stimulant and the roots as a laxative. In the USA, fennel is used for eye, intestinal, kidney diseases, and influenza.

In scientific medicine, fennel preparations are prescribed to improve appetite and digestion, and eliminate stomach cramps. From the seeds, pharmacies used to prepare “dill water” for infants and small children, used for bloating. Essential oil and fennel oil are prescribed for flatulence as an expectorant, antipyretic, antifungal and corrective (improving the taste of medicines). It is included in the complex drug “solutan”, used for bronchitis and bronchial asthma.

In folk medicine, fennel seeds, herbs and roots are used. Tea is prepared from fresh or dried leaves and flowers, and aqueous extracts are made from roots and ripe fruits. Fennel is prescribed as a carminative for flatulence, and as an analgesic for cramping pain in the intestines. The seeds are used to treat chronic cholecystitis, cholelithiasis and kidney stones. Fennel greens are recommended as a lactogenic agent. Green herb gruel is used to relieve freckles, bruises and cyanosis.
used in perfumery and cosmetics production and the food industry for flavoring sausages and confectionery products.

Essential oil is a colorless or slightly yellowish liquid with a characteristic odor, tastes bitter at first, then sweet. The oil contains: anethole - 50-60%, anisaldehyde, anisic acid, methyl chavicol, fenchone, pinene, camphen, phellandrene. Fennel fruits contain 12-18% fatty oil, which is used as a substitute for cocoa butter. They are included in spicy curry mixtures, in the European fish mixture. They are used to flavor tea, when baking certain types of bread, and in the distillery industry.

Fennel leaves and seeds have a sweet-spicy taste and a pleasant smell, combining the aroma of dill and anise. Fennel is used as a spice in the national cuisines of Romania, Hungary, France, Spain, Italy, China, and India. Fresh leaves are put in salads (sweet and sweet and sour fruit), they are seasoned with pureed vegetable soups, meat and fish dishes. The stems of the plant are used for pickling cucumbers. The roots are also used for food: they are boiled and then grated.

Fennel seeds are used to flavor fish dishes and sauces, sweet pickles, and marinades. In some countries they are added when sauerkraut, pickling cucumbers and tomatoes. In our country, fennel is consumed mainly in Turkmen and Russian national cuisines in fish dishes.

When making aromatic “bouquets” for flavoring foods, fennel along with other spices is placed in a gauze bag, which is dipped in boiling water and then removed. The norm for adding seeds to marinades, pickles, sauces is 1-2 g per 1 liter of water. Meat and fish dishes are sprinkled with spices before hot processing at the rate of 2-4 r/kg.
Fennel repels fleas; this property of the plant has been used since ancient times to protect pets from annoying insects. Finely chopped fresh fennel leaves are rubbed into the pets' fur and placed around and under the bedding.

02.12.2017

Fennel is known for its powerful medicinal properties and many culinary uses. The benefits of regular use of this spice are very great. On Pripravkino.ru you will learn what fennel is, about its use and contraindications for use, how and what dishes to cook with it, and much more.

Fennel is a dense, crunchy, bulbous vegetable with the top part looking like a dill. All parts of the plant are edible, and the seeds are used as a seasoning for sweet and savory dishes. They have a warm, bright flavor similar to anise or tarragon.

Fennel seeds (fruit) are especially popular in Italian, Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine. It is also one of the main components of absinthe.

What fennel looks like - photo

general description

Fennel is a perennial herb belonging to the Umbelliferae family, which also includes caraway, dill, anise, etc.

The scientific name of fennel is Foeniculum vulgare mill.

Synonyms: finokio, pharmaceutical dill, Voloshsky dill, sweet anise, sweet cumin.

This plant is native to Southern Europe and is widely distributed throughout Europe, the Middle East, China, India and Turkey.

Common fennel consists of a white or pale green bulb from which closely spaced stems grow. The stems are covered with bright green lacy leaves.

This plant can reach up to 2 meters in height and has golden-yellow flowers in umbels that produce fruit.

The seeds (fruits) resemble anise in appearance. They are oblong or slightly curved, about 3-4 mm long, light brown in color with thin vertical stripes on the surface.

The bulb, stem, leaves and seeds are all edible.

Fennel and dill - what's the difference between them?

Fennel leaves are very similar to fresh dill, so they are often confused and believed to be the same plant.

The table will demonstrate how they differ.

External differences in the photo:

How to get seasoning

Fennel fruits are used as a seasoning, but all parts of the plant are also edible:

• Roots are pulled out in early spring in the second year of life or late autumn in the first year.
• Leaves and stems are cut before flowering.
• Umbrellas - cut off until the buds have fully blossomed.
• Seeds – Harvest when the seed heads turn light brown. Collection is carried out in the early hours to avoid seed loss. The stems are kept under shelters until they are dry, then they are threshed and cleaned of any impurities and debris before being sent for sale.

What a smell and taste

Fennel seeds have a pleasant anise-like sweet-spicy aroma and taste.

The leaves and stems are used in salads, but the main attraction of fennel is the bulb itself. It's very dense and crunchy, and tastes a bit like licorice and anise.

How to choose and where to buy

Fresh fennel is often sold in the produce section of supermarkets in large cities. Choose bulbs that are bright white, unblemished, heavy and dense. The stems should be firm. Avoid bulbs with outer layers that are too loose or cracked.

It's best to buy fennel with the stems still attached, or at least with some stems remaining. Such bulbs last longer than those from which they are completely removed.

When purchasing seeds, look for them in colors ranging from bright green to light green. The freshest and best quality are usually bright green, plump, with a strong fennel aroma. Old seeds lose this bright color over time.

How and how much to store

Whole seeds should be stored in a cool, dry place in an airtight container, away from sunlight. The spice will not lose its aroma for 6 months.

Store ground fennel in airtight containers in the refrigerator and use as soon as possible: it has a short shelf life as it quickly loses its flavor due to the evaporation of essential oils.

Fresh leaves are best consumed immediately. In the refrigerator they retain their beneficial properties for 3-4 days, but the aroma gradually disappears.

Wrap the bulbs tightly in film or a damp cloth and place in the refrigerator. They will be usable within 10 days.

Chemical composition

Fennel contains many health-promoting nutrients, compounds, antioxidants, dietary fiber, minerals and vitamins.

Nutritional value of fennel seeds (Foeniculum vulgare) per 100 g.

Name	Quantity	Percentage of daily value, %
Energy value	345 Kcal	17
Carbohydrates	52.29 g	40
Squirrels	15.80 g	28
Fats	14.87 g	48
Dietary fiber	39.8 g	104
Niacin	6,050 mg	37
Pyridoxine	0.470 mg	36
Riboflavin	0.353 mg	28
Thiamine	0.408 mg	34
Vitamin A	135 IU	4,5
Vitamin C	21 mg	35
Sodium	88 mg	6
Potassium	1694 mg	36
Calcium	1196 mg	120
Copper	1.067 mg	118
Iron	18.54 mg	232
Magnesium	385 mg	96
Manganese	6.533 mg	284
Phosphorus	487 mg	70
Zinc	3.70 mg	33,5

Physiological role

Fennel seeds have the following effects on the body:

• carminative;
• diuretic;
• anti-inflammatory;
• tonic;
• antispasmodic;
• expectorant.

Beneficial features

Here are the benefits of fennel:

1. Helps regulate blood pressure. The seeds are rich in potassium, which helps control heart rate and blood pressure.
2. Works as a diuretic– If you drink fennel tea regularly, it helps remove toxins and reduces the risk of genitourinary problems. They also stimulate sweating.
3. Helps with indigestion, bloating and constipation. Fennel seeds contain estragole, fenchone and anethole, which have antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory properties. Fennel tea is often used for newborns to relieve colic and aid digestion.
4. Relieves asthma attacks. Fennel seeds and their phytonutrients help clear sinuses. They combat bronchitis, phlegm accumulation and cough as they have expectorant properties.
5. Helps cleanse the blood. The essential oils and fiber in the seeds are very beneficial in flushing out toxins from the body, which helps cleanse the blood.
6. Improves vision. Fennel seeds contain vitamin A, which supports normal vision.
7. Treats acne. If fennel seeds are consumed on a regular basis, they provide the body with valuable minerals such as zinc, calcium and selenium. They are very beneficial for balancing hormones and maintaining healthy skin.
8. Protects against cancer. The seeds also have very powerful free radical scavenging properties. It helps protect the body from various types of skin, stomach and breast cancers. Fennel seeds also have very powerful chemomodulatory effects.
9. Increases breast milk secretion in nursing mothers. The seeds contain anethole, which is considered a phytoestrogen. It mimics the properties of a hormone that is usually involved in the growth of mammary glands and milk secretion in women. Estrogen is also responsible for female secondary sexual characteristics. Fennel is known to enhance breast enlargement, although this effect has not been scientifically proven.
10. Helps to lose excess weight. The dietary fiber in fennel is an important factor for weight loss as it acts as a “filler” in the digestive system. The result is an increased feeling of fullness and a decreased appetite, resulting in a reduction in overall calorie intake.

The daily dose of fennel for adults is 5 to 7 grams of seeds or 0.1 to 0.6 milliliters of oil.

Contraindications (harm)

Fennel is safe to consume as a spice, but may cause an allergic reaction if you are allergic to carrots or celery.

Do not consume fennel seeds in large quantities. The compounds in it are neurotoxic in high concentrations and can cause hallucinations and seizures.

Not recommended for patients with cancer, especially those with estrogen-dependent cancer. However, fennel tea is good for relieving stomach cramps and vomiting after chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

Use in cooking

All parts of fennel—the base, stems and leaves, and seeds—can be eaten, and the seeds can be used as a flavoring in many recipes.

Seeds

They are added to both sweet and savory dishes whole or after being chopped or lightly crushed with the flat side of a knife.

Fennel is added as a spice:

• to fish, meat and vegetables, especially dried;
• as a filling for pies, used for sprinkling buns and cookies;
• in soups (fish, vegetable, pork);
• in second courses (fish, pork);
• in marinades for vegetables and pickles from cabbage, cucumbers, apples, watermelons.

If the presence of seeds in the finished dish is undesirable, you can put them in a saucepan in a gauze bag and remove them after cooking.

Bulb

Most often it needs to be cut into pieces. Here's how to do it:

1. If the fennel bulb still has stems attached, cut them off as close to the junction as possible.
2. Cut it in half.
3. Cut off the tough root part.
4. Make a cut from top to bottom through the middle of the fennel bulb.
5. Cut the resulting halves into quarters.
6. Peel and discard the wilted outer layers.
7. Cut each part of the fennel into slices.
8. Cut the quarters crosswise to create small pieces.

The fennel bulb can be used whole as a side dish or cut lengthwise into 2 parts. It can be boiled and grated or stewed.

• The onion is consumed fresh in vegetable salads.
• Add when stewing fish and meat.
• Pairs well with fish, especially salmon.
• Fennel can be stewed or grilled.

Stems

They are consumed like celery stalks:

• blanch and eat half-raw;
• added to salads and vegetable side dishes;
• used in vegetable preparations for the winter.

Umbrellas

Fresh shoots with leaves and still immature umbrellas are used as follows:

• put in a barrel when sauerkraut, in marinades for mushrooms and vegetables;
• cut into salads;
• added to soups and vegetables when stewing;
• crushed to sprinkle on baked meat.

How to make fennel tea - recipe

This is the simplest recipe.

1. Take a teaspoon of fennel seeds and grind them in a mortar.
2. Place them in a cup, cover with boiling water and leave for 10 minutes.
3. Strain, add some honey, basil leaves, black pepper or other ingredients of your choice.

Fennel leaves can also be used in a similar way, as long as they are in excellent condition. Infuse the leaves in boiling water for 15 minutes.

Fennel salad – video

What to replace

Anise seeds can be used as an alternative to fennel as they have a similar flavor. Anise has a stronger flavor, so a smaller amount will be needed when using this replacement. Cumin and dill can also be used as fennel substitutes.

If you use it as a vegetable, you can replace it with bok choy (pak choy) or celery stalks. To duplicate just the flavor of the fennel and not the volume, you can add a teaspoon of anise seeds for every 0.5 kg of onion.

Sem. Celery - Apiaceae

Other names: pharmaceutical dill, Voloshsky dill

Botanical characteristics. It is a perennial and, in cultivation, a biennial herbaceous plant. The stem is erect, branched upward, 2-1 m high. The leaves are alternate, multipinnate, with long filiform lobes. The flowers are yellow, collected in an inflorescence of a complex umbrella. The fruit is a large double-carp (double-carp), consisting of two semi-fruits, oblong in shape.

Spreading. It grows wild in the Mediterranean, as well as in the Crimea, Central Asia and the Caucasus. It has long been cultivated in the Krasnodar region (Russia), Moldova and Ukraine.

Habitat. Mainly on fertile soils, heat- and light-loving plant. Drought-resistant.

Preparation. The fruits ripen unevenly, so harvesting is done when 50% of the umbrellas are ripe in two stages, which reduces crop losses. First, previously ripened grass umbrellas are cut off with a sickle.

Drying. Drying is carried out in sheaves under canopies, then the raw materials are threshed, cleaned of broken parts, sorted and winnowed.

External signs. According to the Global Fund XI, the fruits should be greenish-brown, glabrous, oblong, almost cylindrical, bifid caryopsis (caryopsis), easily split into 2 semi-fruits (mericarp) from 4 to 10 mm long, about 3 mm wide. One side of the semi-fruit is flat, the other is convex, with 5 prominent ribs. There is a calyx and a suprapistal disc. The smell is characteristic, aromatic, strong. The taste is sweetish-spicy. Possible admixture: fruits of dill - Anethum graveolens L., which is distinguished by its oval shape and highly developed wing-shaped lateral ribs. The smell is peculiar, different from the smell of fennel. Has independent application. Loss in mass after drying is allowed no more than 14%. The authenticity of the fruit is determined by external signs and microscopically. Under a microscope, large essential oil tubules, 6 in number, are visible, located between clearly visible ribs in which vascular bundles are located.

Microscopic signs. Cross section of the fetus. The ribs contain large vascular bundles, which are surrounded by cells with a mesh thickening. Essential oil tubules 6; 2 of them are located on the inner, flat side and 4 on the outer, convex side; the latter lie in the hollows between the ribs. Sometimes there are small additional tubules lying next to the main ones. The inside of the tubules is lined with a brown layer of excretory cells. The endosperm consists of polygonal cells with thickened walls, filled with aleurone, fatty oil and small drusen of calcium oxalate.

Fennel fruit preparation.

A - diagram of a cross section of the fruit (x56); B - part of the cross section (x280). 1 - epidermis (exocarp); 2 - mesocarp; 3 - essential oils; 4 - endocarp; 5 - seed endosperm; 6 - cotyledons of the embryo; 7 - conductive bundles; 8 - mesocarp cells with reticular thickening.

Possible impurities. The fruits of dill - Anethum graveolens- oval in shape, flattened on the back, yellowish-gray in color; the lateral ribs are wing-shaped, straw-yellow in color. The smell is spicy, the taste is unsweetened.

Chemical composition. Essential oil (at least 3%). Its component is anethole (50-60%). It also contains fatty oil and protein substances.

Storage. According to the rules for storing essential oil raw materials in bags and boxes. Shelf life: 3 years.

Pharmacological properties. It is used for flatulence, as an expectorant, and sometimes to improve the taste in mixtures. The “carminative” effect is due mainly to the antispasmodic effect on the muscle layer of the intestine.

Medicines. Fennel fruits, infusion (tea), infusion, dill water, complex licorice root powder, fennel (dill) oil.

Storage. Fennel fruits and fennel oil - for flatulence and as an expectorant. In terms of chemical composition and pharmacological properties, the fruits of garden dill are very close to fennel; they also have choleretic, antispasmodic and diuretic effects.

Application. Fennel oil (Oleum Foeniculi). Essential oil obtained by distilling crushed fennel fruits. Contains up to 60% anethole. Transparent, colorless or yellowish, easily mobile liquid with a strong odor reminiscent of anise. The taste is at first bitterish-camphorous, then sweetish. Prescribed for flatulence and as an expectorant, 5-10 drops per dose; also used to improve the taste of mixtures.

BITTER FENNEL FRUITS
Foeniculi amari fructus
FENNEL, BITTER
DEFINITION
Ripe and dried fruits Foeniculum vulgare Mill. sp. vulgare var. vulgare. Contain at least 40 ml/kg of essential oil in terms of anhydrous raw materials. The essential oil contains at least 60.0% anethole and at least 15.0% fenchone.

AUTHENTICITY (IDENTIFICATION)
A. External signs (#2.8.3). The fruit is a drupe, splitting into two semi-fruits (mericarp). The fruit is oblong, almost cylindrical, with a rounded base and tapering apex, with a large stylopodium. The length of the fruit is usually from 3 mm to 12 mm, width from 3 mm to 4 mm. Mericarps are usually free, glabrous, with five noticeable oblong ribs. On a cross-section, when magnified, large essential oil tubules are visible: four on the outside and two on the inside. Color ranges from greenish brown, brown or green.

B. Microscopy (#2.8.3). The crushed raw materials are examined (355). Color ranges from grayish brown to grayish yellow. Visible are: yellow fragments of wide secretory tubules, usually consisting of polygonal sectorial cells with yellowish-brown walls, and an associated layer of thin-walled transversely elongated cells with a width of 2 μm to 9 μm, arranged in a parquet-like manner; reticular parenchyma of the mesocarp; numerous strands of fibers from the ribs, often with narrow spiral vessels; numerous fragments of endosperm containing aleurone grains and small rosette crystals of calcium oxalate, as well as strands of fibers from carpophorus.

C. Thin layer chromatography (2.2.27).
Test solution. To 0.3 g of freshly crushed raw materials (1400) add 5.0 ml methylene chloride R and shake for 15 minutes. Filter and carefully evaporate the filtrate to dryness in a water bath at 60°C. The residue after evaporation is dissolved in 0.5 ml toluene R.
Reference solution. 50 µl anethole R and 10 µl fenchona R dissolve in 5.0 ml hexane R.
Plate: TLC plate with a layer of silica gel GF 254 P.
Mobile phase: hexane R - toluene R (20:80, r/v).
Sample volume applied: 10 µl in the form of strips 20 mm long and 3 mm wide.
Mobile phase front: at least 10 cm from the start line.
Drying: on air.
Manifestation A: Viewed under ultraviolet light at a wavelength of 254 nm.
Results A: the chromatograms show an absorption zone in the central part corresponding to anethole.
Manifestation B: the plate is sprayed sulfuric acid R and heated at a temperature of 140°C for 5-10 minutes. View in daylight.
Results B: in the chromatogram of the reference solution, a yellow zone (fenchone) is found in the lower third and a violet zone (anethole) in the central part. In the chromatogram of the test solution, zones are found that correspond in location and color to the zones of fenchone and anethole in the chromatogram of the reference solution; in the upper third there is a zone of reddish-brown color (terpenes).

TESTS (NUMERICAL INDICATORS)
Estragole. Not more than 5.0% in the essential oil obtained in the “Quantitative Determination” section. The determination is carried out as indicated in the section “Quantitative determination. Determination of anethole and fenchone content” using reference solution (b). The estragole content is calculated using the normalization method.

Acceptable impurities (#2.8.2). Non-raw material parts of the plant: stalks - no more than 1.5%. Amount of other permissible impurities: no more than 1.5%.

Water (2.2.13) . No more than 80 ml/kg. The determination is carried out from 20.0 g of crushed raw materials (710).

Total ash (2.4.16). No more than 10.0%.

QUANTITATION.
Determination of essential oil (2.8.12, method A). 5.0 g of freshly ground raw material (1400) is placed in a round-bottomed flask with a capacity of 500 ml, add 200 ml water P as a distillation liquid. Place 0.50 ml in a graduated tube xylene R and distilled at a speed of 2-3 ml/min for 2 hours.

Determination of anethole and fenchone content. Gas chromatography (2.2.28).
Test solution. A mixture of essential oil and xylene R, obtained during the determination of essential oil, is diluted xylene R to a volume of 5.0 ml, rinsing the device for determining essential oils with the same solvent.
Reference solution(s). 5 mg fenchona R and 5 mg anethole R dissolve in 0.5 ml xylene R.
Reference solution (b). 5 mg estragole R dissolve in 0.5 ml xylene R.
Chromatography conditions:
- column capillary length from 30 m to 60 m and internal diameter 0.3 mm, covered with a layer macrogol 20,000 R;
- detector: flame ionization;
- carrier gas: nitrogen for chromatography P;
- carrier gas velocity: 0.40 ml/min;
- flow division: 1:200;
- volume of injected sample: 1 µl;
- temperature:

Peak order: fenchone, anethole. The content of anethole and fenchone is calculated using the normalization method.

STORAGE
In a place protected from moisture and light at a temperature of 15°C to 25°C.