THE CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS - IFEAT

INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION OF ANETHOLEAnethole is obtained in three main ways:(1) separation of natural essential oils;(2) rectification and reaction of crude sulphate turpentine (CST);(3) chemical synthesis of petrochemical materials.Separation from essential oilThe three main essential oils used to separate anethole are fennel oil, anise oil and star anise oil. Theseparation methods are vacuum fractionation and frozen crystallisation.Fennel oil is obtained from the fruit of the foeniculumvulgare, a kind of umbelliferae plant, by steam distilling.Fennel oil contents include anethole 50% - 60%, fenchone10%, pinene, limonene, phellandrene and so on. Fenneloriginated in the Mediterranean area, but was laterintroduced to some areas of China, suchas Yunnan and Guangxi. The oil yield offresh branches and leaves is between0.1%-0.25%, and of dry fruit is about 4%-5%.Fennel oil• Fennel oil obtained from the fruit of foeniculumvulgare, umbelliferae plants by steam distilling.• Fennel oil contents include anethole 50% - 60%,fenchone 10%, pinene, lemonlene, phellandreneand so on.• Fennel originated in Mediterranean area, but waslater introduced to some areas of China, such asYunnan and Guangxi.• Oil yield of fresh branches and leaves is between0.1% - 0.25%, and dry fruit about 4%-5%.Anise oil• Anise oil obtained from the fruit of pimpinellaanisum, umbelliferae plants, by steam distilling.Main components of anise oil are anethole (80% -90%), methylchavicol and anisic aldehyde.• Pimpinella anisum, also called west fennel andEuropean fennel, is a kind of umbelliferae plantoriginating in Egypt and eastern Mediterranean.The fruit of pimpinella anisum has a sweet taste,like the flavour of liquorice and fennel.• According to 1999 statistics, global output ofessential oil from pimpinella anisum was only 8tons but production of star anise oil reached 400tons in China (from internet).Anise oil is obtained from the fruit of pimpinella anisum, akind of umbelliferae plants, by steam distilling. The maincompositions of anise oil are anethole (80% - 90%),methylchavicol and anisic aldehyde. Pimpinella anisum, alsocalled western fennel and European fennel, is a kind ofumbelliferae plant originating in Egypt and the easternMediterranean. The fruit of the pimpinellaanisum has a sweet taste, like the flavourof liquorice and fennel. According to 1999statistics, the global output of essential oilfrom pimpinella anisum was only 8 tonsbut star anise oil production in China had reached 400 tons.Star anise oil is produced from the fruit, branches and leavesof illicium verum, a kind of illiciaceae plants, by steamdistilling. Anethole is the main composition of the oil, about80% - 90%, and other compositions are limonene,methylchavicol, anisic aldehyde, caryophyllene, p-propenylphenol-isopentyl-etherApproximately 90% of Illicium verumis grown in south-east Asia with theremainder grown in the Americas.China is the main producer, and otherproducing countries include Vietnam,etc.Star anise oil• Star anise oil produced from the fruit, branches andleaves of illicium verum, illiciaceae plants by steamdistilling. Anethole is main component of the oil, about80% - 90%, and other components are limonene,methylchavicol, anisic aldehyde, caryophyllene, p-propenylphenol-isopentyl-ether etc.• Illicium verum is distributed mainly in south-east Asiaand America, and about 90% from former area. Chinais main producer, and other countries also plantIllicium verum such as Vietnam, Cambodia, Burma,Indonesia, the Philippines, Mexico, Haiti and so on.Cambodia, Burma, Indonesia, the Philippines, Mexico and Haiti. According to incomplete estimates,the global planted area of Illicium verum is about 441,000 hectares with annual production of the dried105