Anethole, a widely used industrial flavoring agent is majorly sourced from anise and star anise. The present study is aimed to the in-depth pharmacological analysis i.e. anti-diabetic, skin whitening, neurodegenerative disorder inhibitory activities of anethole-rich Clausena heptaphylla leaf essential oil (ARCHEO) (88.59%) as revealed by the Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis and further confirmed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance 1H-NMR as well as to compare with standard compound anethole. ARCHEO (ABTS EC50 6.97 ± 0.004 µg/mL; Protease assay 4.51 ± 0.004 µg/mL) outperformed the standard compound anethole (ABTS EC50 9.48 ± 0.048 µg/mL; Protease assay EC50 22.64 ± 0.016 µg/mL) in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory experiments. ARCHEO was also shown to be more effective than the reference compound anethole in terms of anti-diabetic activity (EC50 22.35 ± 0.121 µg/mL), tyrosinase inhibitory activity (EC50 16.45 ± 0.012 µg/mL), and anti-cholinesterase activity (EC50 22.32 ± 0.016 µg/mL). However, ARCHEO exhibited lower antimicrobial activity towards all the tested microbes compared to standard compound anethole and as for the MIC, ARCHEO was effective only towards Salmonella typhimurium (60 µg/mL), Streptococcus mutans (20 µg/mL), and Aspergillus fumigatus (75 µg/mL). ARCHEO (11.11%) and anethole (12.33%) showed no genotoxic effect based on Allium cepa assay mitotic index value. Thus, ARCHEO could be a commercially viable and widely available cheaper source of anethole, which has buoyant demand in the field of food flavoring, fragrance, and pharmaceutical industries.
Safrole, a phenylpropene with a ‘candy shop’ aroma, is abundant in nature among diverse plant genera such as Sassafras, Ocotea, Cinnamomum, Myristica, and Piper. Sassafras oil has been used extensively for a long time, first by Native Americans and later by European settlers in traditional medicine and as a flavouring agent. Until 1960 the consumption of safrole by the western population, as a flavouring agent in beer, meat, and soft drinks, was unregulated. Later, the recognition of this phytochemical as a weak hepatocarcinogen with demonstrated genotoxicity in rodents led to strict restrictions on its use in food by various regulatory bodies globally. Moreover, in Asian countries oral carcinogenesis has been linked to safrole through the habit of chewing betel quid. As a separate issue, safrole is an inexpensive synthetic precursor to the illicit recreational drug Ecstasy. Accelerating demand for this party drug during the last few decades has encouraged the unscientific harvesting, illegal production, and trading of safrole‐rich oils, leading to massive deforestation. Recently, many government authorities have enforced laws to restrict the production and harvesting of safrole‐bearing plants. Thus, the identity of safrole has altered with time from a pleasant flavouring agent to a hepatocarcinogen, and more recently as a driver of the destruction of biodiversity. Law enforcement has not only hampered its availability but has also extensively affected industrial use. Our review describes the research progress (1960–2018) on its natural distribution, carcinogenicity, usage as a natural synthon, and the regulations imposed on safrole and safrole‐rich oils worldwide. Finally, we draw our readers’ attention to the sustainable use of this phytochemical for a better future.
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