Star anise one of the flavouring agents of Indian cuisines,has the potential to prevent life style diseases and obesity being the rich source of bioactive compounds.
Star anise -an overview
Star anise is familiar to Indian kitchens as one of the key spice ingredients adding flavors to Indian cuisines. It is a fragrant licorice smelling spice used chiefly in cooking Biriyanis and delicious seafood reciipes since antiquity. Star anise is popularly known as “chakra phool” due to its wheel like shape.
Star anise [illicium verum] is a medium sized evergreen tree native to South east Asian countries, particularly China. The Chinese star anise is well known for its quality and comparatively low propensity to trigger allergy. It is a safe variety of star anise to consume.
The leaves of the tree are fragrant and the tree yields pink to red flowers also. This spice seed is taken from the fruits of the tree. The fruit is a capsule-like follicetum, star-shaped, reddish-brown, and contains six to eight follicles arranged in a whorl.
Star anise as a food ingredient provides numerous health benefits. The spice is a treasure-trove of numerous biologically active compounds which protect against various lifestyle diseases afflicting the mankind.
According to recent medical research studies, this flavoring ingredient offers great health benefits due to the presence of antioxidant compounds within it. Let us have a glimpse at the health benefits star anise provides.
Health benefits of star anise
- Antioxidant property
Star anise contains several types of polyphenols and flavanoids. Phenolic compounds in star anise include p-coumeric acid, gallic aid, cinamic acid, chlorogenic acid and ferulic acid. Catechin and rutin are the major flavonoids. Antioxidants protect against oxidative stress related diseases to body organs such as lifestyle diseases, cancer etc.
- Antimicrobial &anti-inflammatory properties
Apart from the antioxidant property to remove oxidative stress to cells of human body, star anise has anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties owing to the presence of these compounds in it :
Linalool
Quercetin
Anethole
Shikimic acid
Gallic acid
Limonene.
Shikimic acid imparts it the antiviral property to fight against viral infections.
The flavonoid anethole provides it antifungal properties.
Star anise has the potential to inhibit the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β)). It also helps to reduce oxidative stress.
In a nutshell, star anise protects your body against microorganisms causing inflammations and infectious diseases.
- Obesity & cholesterol reducing potential
A study [2] showed that star anise tea consumption significantly reduced the overweight and BMI. Furthermore, it significantly lowered the levels of serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL and VLDL were observed in the study. It is a hopeful news that star anise helps to decrease bad cholesterol and fat accumulation within the body and prevent heart attacks and strokes chiefly along with other complications of obesity.
Culinary use of star anise:
It is used in Indian subcontinent chiefly as a flavoring agent added mostly to various types of Biriyanis and Masala chais. It has an equal significance in Chinese cuisines also as one of the quintessential flavoring ingredients commonly known as”the five spice powder”.
Caution regarding consumption of star anise :-
Consume only a very small amount of this spice. Chinese variety is generally safe. Excess intake may cause allergy,
Copyrighted Dr sanjana p (Dr sanjana vb)
References
- https://biomedpharmajournal.org/vol15no2/antioxidant-and-anti-inflammatory-activity-of-star-anise-illicium-verum-in-murine-model/ Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Star Anise (Illicium Verum) in Murine Model,Ibrahim S Majal.Department of medical laboratory sciences, Mu’tah University, Karak Jordan
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9686881/
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