Screening of radical scavenging activity and chemical constituents of the essential oil from star anise by ultra‐fast GC electronic nose coupled with DPPH, OH, and ABTS assays

Safety and efficacy of a feed additive consisting of a fraction of the essential oil from the fruit and leaves of Illicium verum Hook.f. (star anise terpenes) for use in all animal species (FEFANA asbl)

Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of a fraction of the essential oil from the fruit and leaves of Illicium verum Hook.f. (star anise terpenes), when used as a feed additive for all animal species. The additive contains up to 25% estragole by specification and is obtained by a manufacturing process which results in the enrichment of this genotoxic carcinogen. This is not in line with the principles outlined in the general approach to assess the safety for the target species of botanical preparations which contain compounds that are genotoxic and/or carcinogenic when used as feed additives. Therefore, the FEEDAP Panel considered it was inappropriate to perform an assessment of the safety and efficacy of star anise terpenes for its use as a feed additive.

Safety and efficacy of a feed additive consisting of an essential oil derived from the fruit of Illicium verum Hook.f. (star anise oil) for use in all animal species (FEFANA asbl)

Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of star anise oil from the fruit (without or with the presence of plant leaves) of Illicium verum Hook.f., when used as a sensory additive in feed and water for drinking for all animal species. 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 the additive in complete feed at 0.6 mg/kg for laying hens and rabbits, 1.0 mg/kg for sows and dairy cows, 1.6 mg/kg for sheep/goats, horses and cats, 1.9 mg/kg for dogs and 6.5 mg/kg for ornamental fish. For short-living animals, the Panel had no safety concern when the additive is used at 83.3 mg/kg for veal calves, 73.3 mg/kg for sheep/goats, cattle for fattening and horses for meat production, 83.8 mg/kg for salmonids, 24.8 mg/kg for turkeys for fattening, 18.5 mg/kg chickens for fattening, 33.3 mg/kg for piglets, 40 mg/kg for pigs for fattening and 29.3 mg/kg for rabbits for meat production. These conclusions were extrapolated to other physiologically related species. For any other species, the additive was considered of low concern at 0.6 mg/kg. The use of star anise oil in animal feed is expected to be of no concern for consumers and for the environment. The additive under assessment should be considered as an irritant to skin and eyes, and as a dermal and respiratory sensitiser. Due to the high concentration of estragole (≥ 1%), the additive is classified as suspected of causing genetic defects and of causing cancer and should be handled accordingly. Since the fruit of I. verum and its preparations are recognised to flavour food and their function in feed would be the same, no further demonstration of efficacy was necessary.

GC-MS metabolites profiling of anethole-rich oils by different extraction techniques: antioxidant, cytotoxicity and in-silico enzymes inhibitory insights

GC-MS profiling and metabolomics study of anise and star anise oils obtained by hydrodistillation, n-hexane, and microwave-assisted extraction methods were conducted herein. Trans-anethole was the major phenylpropanoid in both oils. Principal component and hierarchical cluster analyses revealed a clear separation of different extraction methods. Microwave-assisted star anise oil (MSA) revealed the highest anethole content (93.78%). MSA oil showed antioxidant activity using DPPH and ABTS assays, this was verified via an in-silico docking study of its major compounds on human tyrosinase and NAD(P)H oxidase. Trans-anethole displayed the best fitting scores (-8.9 and -10.1 Kcal/mole, respectively). MSA oil showed promising cytotoxic activity on different cell lines, mainly the cervical (HeLa) cell lines. Cell cycle inhibition at the G0-G1 phase was observed with an early apoptotic effect of the oil on HeLa cells. Trans-anethole achieved the best docking scores (-7.9, -9.3 and -9.9 Kcal/mole) for in-silico study on EGFR, CDK2 and CDK4 enzymes engaged in cancer, respectively.