FENNEL

FENNEL

Other Names.

FENNEL, DILL OR HENOJO.

English: Fennel.

French: Fenouil.

From the family of Umbelíferas.

Colds throat and bronchial asthma, whooping cough. Weak digestion, cramps and intestinal gases, particularly children. Enables the production of milk during lactation. The roots are diuretic and snacks.

Introduction: Plant a great tradition, already used in ancient Egypt and familiar in the Mediterranean peoples thanks to the Greeks, the Spanish who introduced it in Central Europe during the Middle Ages, and later took her to America, where he has acclimatised and is in the wild.

FEATURES: Plant perennial that forms a rosette of leaves at ground level in the center of which is an upright stems and branches that can reach two meters tall, green, with a few leaves, arranged around it in the form of pods, but in that So, far above, the greater the sheath that embraces the stem and only if there's a separate piece of the stem. The stems culminate in abundant umbels (clusters of flowers in the form of an umbrella) and composed of multiple tiny yellow flowers. The fruit, dark gray, almost black, it smells pleasantly aniseed (like the whole plant) He was also known under the name fenículo or holy herb.

LOCATION: Lives in the Mediterranean shores, but is cultivated worldwide in temperate climates. In some places in the Americas, as the Pampa Argentina, has acclimatised and grows spontaneously. Thrives in rocky terrain along the channels to dry.

ACTIVE: The whole plant has essence (of sweetness at the beginning that becomes a bitter taste to follow) rich in anethole, the same compound that appears in the anise and that provides such a pleasant anise flavor that shows the plant. It also has oils, especially the seeds, minerals and vitamins.

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES: Plant ideal to remove intestinal gases, is also a good diuretic and digestive tonic. It also facilitates the secretion of milk.

COLLECTION: The flowers should be cut before it is opened, that is, at the beginning of summer. Later, at the end of summer or early autumn, can be cut branches and umbels to tap the fruits that should not be fully mature as they lose their active ingredients. The root is pulled out later, when the fruit has matured (in the autumn)

USES AND APPLICATIONS: By favoring its effects on the digestion and for their pleasant aroma, a plant has been widely used in cooking as a condiment to accompany stews, fish and olive dress. As a digestive, is preparing an infusion of fruit (a teaspoon of crushed fruits for a cup of water) It takes one cup after meals, and this infusion is also capable of stimulating the secretion of milk. Aperitif wine is made with 200 grams of fruit macerated for nine days in a pint of white wine. To benefit from its diuretic properties, will use the following in infusion (a pinch of fresh root for every cup) although this action is intensified by using the five - roots syrup prepared with the asparagus, RUSCO, celery and PEREGIL.

Not to be confused with the fennel wormwood, known in some places of America under the same name of holy herb. In Argentina there is such faith in the fennel, fennel masticaban old mothers and missed the breath in the eyes of their children to scare off eye diseases.

Rama fennel show that, in their heads and infructescenses umbel with detail of the flower and fruit. In phytotherapy are used both the flowers and not overly ripe fruit and roots.

The popular tradition advised intake of herbal teas fennel to promote the secretion of milk mothers.

Used Part.

The fruits (cremocarpos and mericarpos) occasionally the root and leaves of the bitter variety (Foeniculum vulgare Miller, sp. Vulgare var. Vulgare) and the sweet variety (Foeniculum vulgare Miller, sp. Vulgare var. Dulcis)

Active Principles.

Fruits: condensed carbohydrates, phytosterols (beta - sitoserol, stigmasterol) coumarin, essential oil (2 - 6%) anethole (60 - 85%) estragole (5%) alpha - pinene, limonene, mirceno, fencona, canfeno, Sabineno, mirceno - beta, beta - pinene, alpha - and gamma - phellandrene terpineno.

R. F. E.

Var. Vulgare: the dry drug must contain at least 40 ml / kg of essential oil and not less than 60% of anethole and 15% of fencona.

Var dulcis: the dry drug must contain at least 20 ml / kg of essential oil and not less than 80% of anethole.

Leaves: flavonoids, traces of essential oil.

Root: cumarinas (umbeliferona, bergapteno)

Drug Action.

Fruits: The essential oil produces an effect Carminative, to stimulate gastric motility, eupéptico, spasmolytic, estrogen, galactógeno, antiseptic, expectorant and mucolytic. A high dose is considered emenagogo. It is one of the drugs most used as a corrective organoleptic taste. In external use anti - inflammatory and acts as reepitelizante.

The leaves have a vulnerary (healing, antiseptic local)

The following is a diuretic.

Indications.

Fruits: inappetence, dyspepsia hiposecretoras, flatulence, lactation, bronchitis, emphysema, asthma, constipation, gastrointestinal cramps, diarrhea, liver and gall bladder dyskinesias. Amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, menopause.

Fruits, leaves (topical) blefaroconjuntivitis, gingivitis, pharyngitis.

Root: States that require an increase in urine output: genitourinary disorders (cystitis, ureteritis, urethritis, pyelonephritis, oliguria, urolithiasis) hiperazotemia, hyperuricemia, gout, high blood pressure, edema, overweight accompanied by fluid retention.

Contraindications.

Pursue syndromes with hiperestrogesism.

Unless otherwise indicated, we recommend not to prescribe essential oils through internal during pregnancy, lactation, children under six years or patients with gastritis, gastric ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, hepatopathy, epilepsy, Parkinson and other neurological diseases.

Do not administer, or topically applied to children under six years old or people with respiratory allergies or with known hypersensitivity to this or other essential oils.

Do not prescribe dosage forms with alcoholic content for oral administration in children under two years or consultants in the process of alcohol addiction.

Caution / Poisoning.

A very high doses anethole content in the essential oil is neurotoxic, with a possible convulsive effect.

Take into account the alcohol content of the fluid extract and tincture.

Galenica forms / Dosage.

Fruits:

Infusion: 10 to 30 g / l, infuse 10 minutes. One cup after meals. Infants: 5 to 10 frutos / 50 cc.

Fluid extract (1: 1) 20 to 30 drops, 3 times a day.

Tincture (1: 10) 50 drops, one to three times a day.

Dust: 1 to 4 g per day, in capsules of 300 - 500 mg.

Essential oil: 1 to 3 drops, 2 or 3 times a day, a cup of infusion, on a sugar cube or encapsulated (25 to 50 mg / caps. 2 or 3 a day)

Dry extract (5: 1) 0. 3 to 2 g / day (1 g equals 5 grams of dried plant)

Root:

Decoction: 25 g / l, boil 2 minutes, infuse for 10 minutes, three cups a day.

Fluid extract (1: 1) 25 - 50 drops, one to three times a day.

Leaves:

Infusion: 30 g / l, a cup after meals, as nervous and digestive tonic.

Poultice of leaves fresh on the decision as boils, abscesses, bruises, holding milk.

Plant: 20 g / l, in decoction. It was popularly used against deafness and disorders of the external ear (sprays on the auditory.

external) and in inflammatory disorders, in the form of mouthwashes or gargarismos eye baths.

Bibliography.

Benigni, R; Capra, C; Cattorini, P. Piante Medicinali. Chimica, Pharmacology and Therapy. Milano: Inverni & Della Beffa, 1962, pp. 605 - 7.

Bézanger - Beauquesne, L; Pinkas, M; Torck, M. Dans la Plantes Les Thérapeutiques Moderne. 2. Paris: Maloine, 1986, pp. 215 - 6.

Bézanger - Beauquesne, L; Pinkas, M; Torck, M; Trotin, F. Medicinal plants of temperate Regions. Paris: Maloine, 1980, p. 235.

Bruneton, J. Elements of Phytochemistry and Pharmacognosy. Zaragoza: Acribia, 1991, p. 255.

European Scientific Cooperative on Phytotherapy (ESCOP) Monographs on the medicinal uses of plant drugs. Fascicle I: Foeniculi fructus. March 1996.

Fitomed. Information System phytomedicine. Cuba: Infomed, 1997 (http: www. infomed. sld. cu / fitomed / hin. html)

Fernandez, M; Nieto, A. Medicinal Plants. Pamplona: Ediciones Universidad de Navarra, 1982, p. 80.

James, A; Duke, Ph. D. Handbook of Medicinal Herbs. 5. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press, 1987, pp. 30, 42, 198 - 9, 374; 420; 519; 556.

Lastra, JJ; Bachiller, LI. Medicinal Plants in Asturias, Cantabria and the cornice. Gijón: Ediciones Trea, 1997, pp. 138 - 9.

Le Floc'h, E. Etude Ethnobotanique une contribution to the Flore Tunisienne. Imprimerie officielle de la République Tunisienne, 1983, pp. 182 - 4.

Mulet, L. Ethnobotanical survey of the province of Castellon. Castellon: Provincial, 1991, p. 34.

Mulet, L. Toxic Plants of Valencia. Castellon: Provincial, 1997, pp. 188 - 9.

Paris, RR; Moyse, M. Summary of Matter Médicale. Take II. Paris: Masson, 1967, p. 473.

Peris, JB; Stübing, G; Vanaclocha, B. Applied Fitoterapia. Valencia: M. I. Official College of Pharmacists, 1995, pp. 323 - 4.

Peris, JB; Stübing, G; Figuerola, R. Guide to Medicinal Plants of Valencia. Valencia: Las Provincias, 1996, p. 315.

Real Spanish Pharmacopoeia. Madrid: Ministry of Health and Consumption, 1997, pp. 1103 - 5.

Rivera, D; Obon, C. The Guide INCAFE of useful and Poisonous Plants of the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearics. Madrid: INCAFE, 1991, pp. 107, 737 - 41.

Samuelsson, G. Drugs of Natural Origin. A Textbook of Pharmacognosy. Stockholm: Swedish Pharmaceutical Press, 1992, p. 93.

Trease, GE, Evans, WCh. Pharmacognosy. Mexico City: Inter - MacGraw - Hill, 1991, pp. 82; 471 - 2.

Van Hellemont, J. Compendium of Phytothérapie. Bruxelles: Association Pharmaceutique Belge, 1986, pp. 162 - 4.

Villar, L; Palacín, JM; Calvo, C. Gomez, D; Montserrat, G. Medicinal Plants of the Aragonese Pyrenees and other tierrras Huesca. 2. Huesca: Provincial, 1992, pp. 104, 284; 287.

WICHTL, M. Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceutical. A Handbook for Practice on a scientific basis. Stuttgart: Medpharm Scientific Publishers, 1994, pp. 200 - 2.

Related Products