Botanical Index No. 407

Fennel

foeniculum vulgare

Medicinal Actions

Alexeteric, Analgesic, Anorectic, Antiandrogenic, Antibacterial, Antidopaminergic, Antidote, Antiedemic, Antifertility, Antiinflammatory, Antileukemic, Antioxidant, Antipyretic, Antiseptic, Antispasmodic, Antitussive, Antiviral, Antiwrinkle, Cardiotonic, Carminative, Choleretic, Cholinomimetic, Cytotoxic, Diaphoretic, Digestive, Diuretic, Emmenagogue, Estrogenic, Expectorant, Eupeptic, Fungicide, Gastrostimulant, Hepatoregenerative, Lactagogue, Laxative, Mastogenic, Mucogenic, Mucolytic, Mutagenic, Myorelaxant, Myostimulant, Narcotic, Secretolytic, Stimulant, Stomachic, Tonic, Vagina Protective, Colic

Primary Conditions Treated

Abortifacient Aperitif Aphrodisiac Bitter Collyrium Pectoral Vermifuge Aerophagia Alactea Amenorrhea Andropause Anorexia Apnea Asthma Backache Bacteria Biliousness Bite Blepharosis Body Odor Bronchosis Cancer breast diaphragm gum liver prostate spleen stomach throat uterus uvula Catarrh Cellulite Childbirth Cholera Cold Colitis Condyloma Conjunctivosis Constipation Cough Cramp Diarrhea Dysentery Dysmenorrhea Dyspepsia Dysuria Earache Enterosis Enuresis Fever Flu Flux Frigidity Fullness Fungus Gas Gastrosis Gonorrhea Halitosis Headache Heart Heartburn Hepatosis Hernia Hiccup IBS Impotence Induration Infection Inflammation Jaundice Leprosy Leukemia Menopause Morning Sickness Motion Sickness Mycosis Nausea Nephrosis Obesity Oligolactea Ophthalmia Osteoporosis Pain Pharyngosis Pulmonosis Respirosis Scirrhus Side Ache Snakebite Sore Spasm Spermatorrhea Splenosis Stomachache Stomatosis Strangury Swelling VD Tenesmus Thirst Toothache Uterosis Virility Virus Vomiting Water Retention Wen Worm Wound Wrinkle

General Dosage

900–1800 fruit/day; 2–6 tsp fresh seed; 1–3 g dry seed; 2 g dry seed:10 ml alcohol/10 ml water; 5–7 g seed/day; 1/2 tsp seed/cup water 3 ×/day; 1–2 tsp mashed seed/cup water; 10–40 g powder; 5–10 ml oil; 3–6 ml fluid extract/day; 0.5–2 ml liquid seed extract; 2–4 ml tincture; 7–14 ml tincture/day; 0.5–1 tsp tincture 3 ×/day; 5–7.5 g compound tincture; 5–20 drops EO/day; 0.1–0.6 ml EO; 0.03–0.2 ml EO; 10–20 g fennel syrup; 0.3–1 ml concentrated fennel water. Seeds not to be long taken at rate of 6 g seed/day

Safety & Contraindications

Class 1. “Hazards and/or side effects not known for proper therapeutic dosages”. Commission E reports no contraindications for herbal teas, but other dosage forms should be avoided during pregnancy. The EO should also be avoided in infants and small children. Nursing mothers taking anise and/or fennel tea to stimulate lactation exhibited temporary CNS disturbances, emesis, lethargy, poor suckling, restlessness, and torpor in the newborn, possibly due to anethole in the milk. To be avoided by women who are pregnant, lactating, or with an estrogen-dependent cancer. Adverse effects: isolated cases of allergic reactions of skin and lungs. Fennel represents a low allergenic risk. A case of asthma with atopic disposition caused by Contraindications, Interactions, and Side Effects — Class 1. “Hazards and/or side effects not known for proper therapeutic dosages”. Commission E reports no contraindications for herbal teas, but other dosage forms should be avoided during pregnancy. The EO should also be avoided in infants and small children. Nursing mothers taking anise and/or fennel tea to stimulate lactation exhibited temporary CNS disturbances, emesis, lethargy, poor suckling, restlessness, and torpor in the newborn, possibly due to anethole in the milk. To be avoided by women who are pregnant, lactating, or with an estrogen-dependent cancer. Adverse effects: isolated cases of allergic reactions of skin and lungs. Fennel represents a low allergenic risk. A case of asthma with atopic disposition caused by fennel has been reported. Seeds not to be long taken at rate of 6 g seed/day, perhaps due to estrogenic anethole and carcinogenic estragole. We might extend to all apiaceous oils Bisset’s comments on celery seed oil, “The drug is contraindicated in inflammation of the kidneys,” since apiaceous EOs may increase the inflammation as a result of epithelial irritation. Extracts of fennel can induce estrus and cause growth of mammary glands. Moderate doses of an acetone extract increased the weight of the mammary glands in rats. LD50 of EO 3120 = 4500 ml/kg orally; LD50 anethole 2090 mg/kg orl rat; LD50 fennel seed tincture = >3000 mg/kg orl rat.

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