RIFM fragrance ingredient safety assessment, Fenchone, CAS Registry Number 1195-79-5

Safety and efficacy of feed additives consisting of essential oils from the fruit and stems of Foeniculum vulgare Mill. ssp. vulgare: Bitter fennel oil for use in all animal species and sweet fennel oil for use in dogs and cats (FEFANA asbl)

Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of essential oils from fruit and stems of Foeniculum vulgare Mill. (bitter fennel oil and sweet fennel oil), when used as sensory additives (flavourings). For long-living and reproductive animals, the Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) considered of low concern the use of bitter fennel oil (with a content of estragole up to 6.1%) at the proposed use level in complete feed: 0.6 mg/kg for laying hens and rabbits, 1.0 mg/kg for sows and dairy cows, 1.5 mg/kg for sheep/goats, horses and cats, 1.9 mg/kg for dogs and 7.1 mg/kg for ornamental fish. For short-living animals (animals for fattening), the Panel had no safety concern when bitter fennel oil is used at the proposed use level in complete feed of 18.2 mg/kg for chickens for fattening, 24.3 mg/kg for turkeys for fattening and 25 mg/kg for piglets, pigs for fattening, veal calves, cattle for fattening, sheep/goats, horses, rabbits and salmon. These conclusions were extrapolated to other physiologically related species. The use of sweet fennel oil (with a content of estragole up to 5.0%) was considered of low concern at the proposed use level in complete feed of 2.3 mg/kg for dogs and 1.9 mg/kg cats. The use of bitter fennel oil in animal feed is expected to be of no concern for consumers and the environment. The additives under assessment should be considered as irritants to skin and eyes, and as dermal and respiratory sensitisers. Due to the high concentration of estragole (> 1%), fennel oils are classified as suspected of causing genetic defects and of causing cancer and should be handled accordingly. Since the fruit of F. vulgare Mill. ssp. vulgare and its preparations are recognised to flavour food, no further demonstration of efficacy was necessary.

Polymeric Nanocapsules Containing Fennel Essential Oil: Their Preparation, Physicochemical Characterization, Stability over Time and in Simulated Gastrointestinal Conditions

Plant essential oils, a source of biologically active compounds, represent a promising segment in the pharmaceutical market. However, their volatility, hydrophobicity, poor stability, and low toxicity limit direct use in pharmaceutical-related applications. Nanoencapsulation is a technique that allows overcoming these obstacles by improving bioaccessibility and bioavailability. Nanocapsules (NCs) based on biodegradable and biocompatible poly(ɛ-caprolactone) containing Foeniculum vulgare Mill. essential oil (FEO), known for its biological activities, were successfully prepared by interfacial deposition of the preformed polymer method. The composition of FEO (trans-anethole chemotype) was determined by gas chromatography analyses. The FEO presence inside the NCs was confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance experiments. The FEO-NCs showed nanometer size (210 nm), low polydispersity index (0.10), negative zeta potential (-15 mV), non-Newtonian rheological behavior, and high efficiency of encapsulation (93%). Moreover, parameters such as FEO-NC particle size, bioactive compound retention, and FEO composition were monitored for 30 days at storage temperatures of 4 and 40 °C, confirming the robustness of the nanosystem. Finally, FEO-NCs were resistant to the simulated gastric digestion and showed an effective bioaccessibility of 29% in simulated intestinal digestion. Based on the results obtained, this FEO-NC nanosystem could find interesting applications in the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical sectors.