Star Anise

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Star Anise

Tamiflu manufactured from ingredients in Star Anise

backlinks... H5N1 Avian Flu

history There has been increasing interest in Star Anise recently,

as this herb is a raw material for manufacturing the antiviral

medicine Tamiflu; Shikimic acid is extracted from anise, which

undergoes a 17 step chemical process to transform it into Tamiflu

(generic name: Oseltamivir).

 

 

http://www.med-owl.com/herbal-antivirals/tiki-index.php?

page=Star+Anise

 

 

In traditional , star anise is used for clearing

mucus congestion from the respiratory tract, as a digestive aid to

relieves gas and bloating, improve appetite, and assist with

digestion. The oil has antispasmodic properties, and is used to

stabilize and improve mood. (ITM online page on anise (cache)) It is

not widely used for influenza in , but is used for

flu in traditional Tibetan medicine. (article in China Daily

(cache))

 

In 2003, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning

on the use of anise teas after approximately 40 reports of adverse

effects. According to the advisory, Chinese Star Anise was believed

to be contaminated with Japanese Star Anise. The Japanese variety is

visually identical, but can cause neurotoxicity. FDA Advisory on

Star Anise (cache).

 

Although star anise could have some direct antiviral effects, these

have not been proven. One cannot assume that because Tamiflu is made

from star anise, that star anise has the same properties as Tamiflu -

it does not. At this time, I would put star anise on

the 'interesting' list, but don't have evidence that it would be

effective in treating H5N1 avian flu or any other serious disease.

 

The Latin name for star anise is Illicium verum HOOK. f. (sometime

referred to by the older name Anisum setellatum.) The spice is

popular in the cuisine of China, Vietnam, and other Asian countries,

and it is a dominant flavor in the famous Five Spice powder. For a

good overview of the culinary aspects of star anise, follow this

link to Gernot Katzer's Spice Pages (cache).

 

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(Image of Star Anise from Wikipedia, licensed under the GNU Free

Documentation License, Version 1.2.)