company tower banner
Excellentia International Company Logo

Excellentia International FENNEL OIL BITTER PURE & NATURAL

Used in flavorings for food and dental hygiene. It is also used in perfumery, cosmetics, pharmacy and aromatherapy. It is proved that Fennel oil has carminative and digestive properties, and it is widely used with this purpose.

Ingredient Name: Fennel Oil

Functions: Flavor Enhancer

Ingredient Origin: Natural Origin

Labeling Claims: Natural, Naturally Derived

Certifications & Compliance: European Pharmacopeia (Ph. Eur.), FCC Compliant, IFRA Compliant

Physical Form: Liquid

Technical Data Sheet
  • TypeDocument Name
View All Documents

Knowde Enhanced TDS

Identification & Functionality

Ingredient Name
Ingredient Origin
Food Ingredients Functions
Starting Raw Material
Fruits and aerial parts
CAS No.
8006-84-6
Botanical family
Apiaceae
Botanical Name
Foeniculum vulgare Mill. ssp. vulgare
FEMA Number
2481.0
Ingredients
Fennel Oil, Foeniculum Vulgare Var. Dulce
Technologies
Main Origins

Spain,Hungary,France,Tasmania,Egyptt

Features & Benefits

Product Highlights

Native to Syria, this is a plant of Mediterranean origin, currently cultivated in many countries of the world, which can grow up to 2 m. high and has sharp green leaves and flowers of an intense yellow color. It was introduced into USA around 1600 by Spanish explorers. Charlemagne quotes it in his writings, both for use in food and in phytotherapy.

Usually two different chemotypes of this oil have been described, being historically denominated "Sweet" and "Bitter". Their origin has been explained in several ways: French AFNOR standard states that Sweet type is obtained from the seeds of a specific variety called "dulce", while international standards, ISO and Pharmacopeia, include these two chemotypes within the same variety "Amara" which is distilled from seeds and aerial parts.The Phellandrene CT, which would correspond to "bitter fennel" is mainly produced in Spain, while the t-Anethole CT that would correspond to "sweet Fennel" is mainly produced in Hungary or Tasmania.

The oil obtained with a yield between 1 and 2%, is a slightly yellow liquid with the typical anise odor, and powerful herbaceous and sharp notes in the case of the Spanish quality. According to ISO definition, this oil could be also obtained by rectification from the crude oil, increasing its t-Anethole content.

Applications & Uses

Food & Nutrition Applications

Properties

Physical Form

Regulatory & Compliance

Regulation
  • _x007f_Monographs: ISO, FCC, AFNOR and European Pharmacopeia.
  • Cosmetic Allergens: Limonene, Linalool, Neral.
  • _x007f_IFRA: Permitted. Restricted substances: Estragole (carcinogenic) p-Methoxybenzaldehyde (sensitizer).
  • Safety summary: Maximum adult oral dose of 54 mg and a dermal maximum of 1.8%.

Technical Details & Test Data

Chemical Profile & Chemotypes

It is important to ensure that fennel oil has not oxidized before employing it for therapeutic purposes, since the oxidation products of t-Anethole may be skin sensitizing (Cis-Anethole, Anisaldehyde and Anise Ketone)

It is crucial in both varieties, the determination of its content in Fenchone, not only because it is the component that provides the pungent-potent odor, but also because of the difficulty of being added in commercial or reconstituted qualities, since to fulfill the optical rotation of the oil, Dextro-Fenchone should be added, and the product would be overpriced. For this reason, optical rotation is a necessary measure in every quality control of the oil.

In the following tables, typical composition of the two chemotypes and nomenclature correlation are showed:

t-Anethole CT

  • Alpha Pinene: 2-11%
  • Alpha Phellandrene: Tr-8.5%
  • Limonene: 1-6%
  • Fenchone: 10-25%
  • Methyl Chavicol(Estragole): 1-6%
  • Trans-Anethole: 50-78%
  • Cis-Anethole: 50-78%
  • Anisaldehyde: Tr-1%
  • Anise Ketone: Max 1%

Phellandrene/Anethol CT

  • Alpha Pinene: 2-8%
  • Alpha Phellandrene: 8-25%
  • Limonene: 8-30%
  • Fenchone: 7-16%
  • Methyl Chavicol(Estragole): 2-7%
  • Trans-Anethole: 15-30%
  • Cis-Anethole: Tr-0.5%
  • Anisaldehyde: Tr-0.3%
  • Anise Ketone: Max 0.05%
ISO 17412 Oil of bitter Fennel Ssp. vulgare var. amara
Phellandrene + t-Anethol CT
Ph.Eur 1280 Bitter Fennel herb oil Ssp. vulgare var. amara
Spanish + Tasmanian CT
Ph.Eur 1279 Bitter Fennel fruit oil Ssp. vulgare var. amara t-Anethole CT
NF T 75-257 Oil of sweet Fennel Ssp. vulgare var. dulce t-Anethol CT