Survey on Chemical Constituent, Traditional and Modern Pharmaceutical and Health Benefits of Chinese Star Anise, a Treasure from the East

Introduction: Star anise has traditional usages and multiple applications in botany, chemistry, pharmacology and therapy. Chinese star anise has antioxidant, antibacterial, fungicidal, anti-inflammatory, anesthetic and anti-nociceptive effects. Methods: A literature search was conducted in Medline, PubMed, Science direct and Google scholar databases. Results: The seeds are good source of the minerals calcium, iron, copper, potassium, manganese, zinc and magnesium. The seeds are also a good source of the essential B-complex vitamins pyridoxine, niacin, riboflavin and thiamin. Chinese star anise is also a good source of anti-oxidant vitamins including Vitamin-C and Vitamin-A. The essential oil of Chinese star anise contains anethole which has shown several functional properties including antimicrobial, antioxidant, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic and oestrogenic properties. Chinese star anise also contains shikimic acid, which has become a major weapon against global influenza. Moreover, it contains bioactive compounds possessing insecticidal properties which can be used as natural grain protectants. The most important compounds of Chinese star anise are α-pinene, β-pinene, myrcene, α-phellandrene, 3-carene, α-terpinene, p-cymene, limonene, trans-ocimene, cis-β-ocimene, γ-terpinene, terpinolene, linalool, γ-terpineol, 4-terpineol, α-terpineol, estragole, cis-anethole, trans-anethole, α-cubebene, β-clemene, caryophyllene, bergamotene, ∆-cardinene and α-cadinol. Conclusion: The most important properties which have been reported for star anise is carminative, antifungal, antibacterial, analgesic, sedative, anticarcinogenic and antioxidant. Usage of Chinese star anise can provide industrial sustainability and could be considered as both organic food and medicine in both East and West.