UNASSIGNED: To evaluate the anticancer activity of methanolic extract of Illicium verum against triple-negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cell line.
UNASSIGNED: A cell culture experimental study was carried out at Pharmacology department of Bahria University Medical and Dental College (January to June 2021) in collaboration with Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. Cell viability and proliferation assays were used to quantify dead and alive cells by utilizing a tetrazolium assay and an enzyme immunosorbent plate reader was used to calculate their absorbance. For the apoptosis initiation assay, these cells were dyed with a fluorescent stain and observed for fluorescence and apoptosis. During cell viability testing, various I. verum methanolic extract doses (0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 3, 6, 12, and 25µg/ml) were employed to treat MDA-MB-231 cells, while the IC50 dose of 2.8µg/ml was used for both the cell proliferation and apoptosis initiation assays.
UNASSIGNED: In the cell viability assay, all I. verum methanolic extract doses exhibited a substantial decrease in the viability of MDA-MB-231 cells (less than 0.01 p-value). In cell proliferation assay and apoptosis initiation, the IC50 dose of 2.8µg/ml of I. verum methanolic extract also exhibited a substantial decrease in cell division (less than 0.01 p-value) and the initiation of apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells.
UNASSIGNED: Illicium verum methanolic extract have strong anticancer activity against triple-negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cell line through cytotoxicity, proliferation reduction, and apoptosis initiation mechanisms.

Illicium verum, or star anise, has many uses ranging from culinary to religious. It has been used in the food industry since ancient times. The main purpose of this study was to determine the chemical composition, antibacterial, antibiofilm, and anti-quorum sensing activities of the essential oil (EO) obtained via hydro-distillation of the aerial parts of Illicium verum. Twenty-four components were identified representing 92.55% of the analyzed essential oil. (E)-anethole (83.68%), limonene (3.19%), and α-pinene (0.71%) were the main constituents of I. verum EO. The results show that the obtained EO was effective against eight bacterial strains to different degrees. Concerning the antibiofilm activity, trans-anethole was more effective against biofilm formation than the essential oil when tested using sub-inhibitory concentrations. The results of anti-swarming activity tested against P. aeruginosa PAO1 revealed that I. verum EO possesses more potent inhibitory effects on the swarming behavior of PAO1 when compared to trans-anethole, with the percentage reaching 38% at a concentration of 100 µg/mL. The ADME profiling of the identified phytocompounds confirmed their important pharmacokinetic and drug-likeness properties. The in silico study using a molecular docking approach revealed a high binding score between the identified compounds with known target enzymes involved in antibacterial and anti-quorum sensing (QS) activities. Overall, the obtained results suggest I. verum EO to be a potentially good antimicrobial agent to prevent food contamination with foodborne pathogenic bacteria.

Illicium difengpi (Schisandraceae), which is an endemic, medicinal, and endangered species found in small and isolated populations that inhabit karst mountain areas, has evolved strategies to adapt to arid environments and is thus an excellent material for exploring the mechanisms of tolerance to severe drought. In experiment I, I. difengpi plants were subjected to three soil watering treatments (CK, well-watered treatment at 50% of the dry soil weight for 18 days; DS, drought stress treatment at 10% of the dry soil weight for 18 days; DS-R, drought-rehydration treatment at 10% of the dry soil weight for 15 days followed by rewatering to 50% of the dry soil weight for another 3 days). The effects of the drought and rehydration treatments on leaf succulence, phytohormones, and phytohormonal signal transduction in I. difengpi plants were investigated. In experiment II, exogenous abscisic acid (ABA, 60 mg L-1) and zeatin riboside (ZR, 60 mg L-1) were sprayed onto DS-treated plants to verify the roles of exogenous phytohormones in alleviating drought injury. Leaf succulence showed marked changes in response to the DS and DS-R treatments. The relative concentrations of ABA, methyl jasmonate (MeJA), salicylic acid glucoside (SAG), and cis-zeatin riboside (cZR) were highly correlated with relative leaf succulence. The leaf succulence of drought-treated I. difengpi plants recovered to that observed with the CK treatment after exogenous application of ABA or ZR. Differentially expressed genes involved in biosynthesis and signal transduction of phytohormones (ABA and JA) in response to drought stress were identified by transcriptomic profiling. The current study suggested that the phytohormones ABA, JA, and ZR may play important roles in the response to severe drought and provides a preliminary understanding of the physiological mechanisms involved in phytohormonal regulation in I. difengpi, an endemic, medicinal, and highly drought-tolerant plant found in extremely small populations in the karst region of South China.

Illicium verum Hook. F., also known as star anise, is one of the most important plants of the genus Anise in the family Magnoliaceae. I. verum not only has the functions of warming Yang, dispersing cold, regulating Qi and relieving pain but can also be used as a condiment to increase flavor as well as reconcile and remove fish smells. Currently, 201 chemical constituents have been identified from star anise; among these, star anise oil and shikimic acid are the two most widely used and studied chemical components in star anise, with the oil accounting for a large proportion of the total. This review integrates, classifies and updates studies related to the botany, pharmacology, phytochemistry, traditional and modern uses and quality control of star anise, with a special reference to its phytochemical composition and pharmacological activity. It will provide a reference for further research on this important medicinal plant. In addition, the broad applications and research profiles of star anise essential oil and shikimic acid are highlighted. Our review indicates that the research prospects regarding star anise are very broad and worthy of further investigation.

Albuminous seeds, dispersed with a minimally developed embryo surrounded by nutrient storage tissue, are pervasive across extinct and extant early diverging angiosperm lineages. Typically, seed ontogenic studies have focused on the time between fertilization and seed release, but in albuminous seeds, embryogenesis is incomplete at the time of seed dispersal. Here, I studied the morphological and nutritional relationships between the embryo and the endosperm after seed dispersal in Illicium parviflorum (Austrobaileyales). Seeds of I. parviflorum germinate over a period of three months. Different stages during the germination process were anatomically evaluated using a combination of histochemistry and immunocytochemistry. At dispersal, the seeds of Illicium contain a tiny achlorophyllous embryo with minimal histological differentiation, surrounded by copious amounts of lipo-protein globules stored in the endosperm within cell walls rich in un-esterified pectins. Six weeks later, the embryo expanded and differentiated the vascular tissues before the emergence of the radicle through the seed coat, as the stored lipids and proteins coalesced within cells. Six weeks later, the cotyledons contained starch and complex lipids intracellularly, and accumulated low-esterified pectins in their cell walls. The proteolipid-rich albuminous seeds of Illicium exemplify how woody angiosperms of the Austrobaileyales, Amborellales, and many magnoliids release seeds with high-energy storage compounds that are reprocessed by embryos that complete development during germination. Seedlings of these lineages thrive in the understory of tropical environments, which match with the predicted habitats where angiosperms evolved.

UNASSIGNED: To investigate the anticancer effect of Illicium verum against human breast cancer MCF-7 cell line.
UNASSIGNED: An experimental study was conducted in Multidisciplinary and Tissue Culture Laboratory, Aga Khan University in collaboration with Pharmacology Department of Bahria University Medical and Dental College, Karachi, Pakistan from January 2021 to June 2021. MCF-7 cells of Luminal-A breast cancer were seeded in 96-well plate and treated with I.verum methanol extract. After incubation, MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) dye was used for cell viability and cell proliferation assays to determine the number of dead and viable cells, and the absorbance was measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) plate reader. In cell viability assay, different doses of I. verum methanol extract were used to treat the MCF-7 (0.25, 0.5, 1, 3, 6, 12, 25, and 50μg/ml) cells. For apoptosis analysis, the cells were processed with 4´, 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole fluorescent nuclear dye (DAPI) and were examined for fluorescence intensity and apoptotic cells. For cell proliferation assay and apoptosis the IC50 dose of 5.5μg/ml I. verum methanol extract was used.
UNASSIGNED: The MCF-7 cells showed a significant reduction (p-value <0.01) in cell viability in the presence of all tested doses of I. verum methanol extract, except for the dose of 0.25μg/ml. The IC50 dose 5.5μg/ml of same extract also showed a significant reduction (p-value <0.01) in cell proliferation and apoptosis induction in MCF-7 cells.
UNASSIGNED: Illicium verum methanol extract possesses very potent anticancer action against MCF-7 cells through cytotoxicity, reduction, and inhibition of cancer cells and by inducing apoptosis.

BACKGROUND: Chronic hyperglycemic triggers the non-enzymatic glycation of biomolecules, resulting in the production of advanced glycation endproducts, that lead to several micro- and macrovascular complications. Therefore, the discovery of new, effective, and safe anti-glycation agents is an important need. One of the best choices for the management of diabetes is to use complementary and alternative medicinal therapies. Therefore, the present study was designed to evaluate the anti-glycation activity of ethanolic extract of Illicium verum Hook. f. (Star anise, a frequently used spice and medicinally important herb).
METHODS: The anti-glycation activity of ethanolic extract of Illicium verum Hook. f. was determined by using both in-vitro and in-vivo assays. HSA-fructose glycation model was employed to assess the in-vitro inhibition of protein glycation, additionally cross-linked AGEs (formed by incubating lysozyme with fructose) were assessed by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Dual inhibitory mechanisms, i.e., antioxidant and metal chelating activities, were also evaluated by using DPPH, ABTS, and Fe (II)-chelation assays. Acute toxicity of I. verum extract was also performed (by administrating different doses i.e. 2,000, 1,500, 1,000, and 500 mg/kg of body weight). Finally, in-vivo anti-glycation potential was evaluated by 7 weeks of administration of I. verum extract in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
RESULTS: In HSA-fructose glycation model, extract of I. verum showed a good inhibitory activity with IC50 value of 0.11±0.001 mg/mL, as compared to the standard inhibitor, rutin (IC50 = 0.02±0.01 mg/mL). Extract of I. verum showed inhibitory activity in DPPH, and ABTS radical scavenging assays with IC50 values of 130±1.0, and 57±2.0 μg/mL, respectively, while it was found to be inactive in the Fe+2-chelation assay. The extract was found to be non-toxic, and reduce the elevated blood glucose, urea, lipid, liver function parameters, and renal AGEs levels in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that I. verum supplementation might help to reduce the burden of AGEs, and may have potential in preventing diabetes-associated complications.

Thirteen compounds were isolated from the lipid-soluble extracts of Illicium ternstroemioides A. C. Smith, including eleven previously undescribed prenylated C6-C3 compounds, a previously undescribed prenylated C6-C3 derivative-abscisic acid ester hybrid, and a known compound (4S)-illicinone I. Their structures and configurations were mainly elucidated by spectroscopic analyses, CD experiments and X-ray crystallography. (2S,4R,11S)-4-O-methyl-12-chloroillifunone C, (2S,4R,11R)-2,3-dihydro-4-O-methyl illioliganfunone D, and illiternfunol A were found to exhibit weak activity against Coxsackievirus B3, with IC50 values ranging from 27.8 to 33.3 μM. Illiternone B exhibited more potent activities against Coxsackievirus B3 and influenza virus A than did its geometric isomer illiternone A, with IC50 values of 7.7 μM and 2.5 μM, respectively. None of these compounds displayed cytotoxic activities.

Previous studies have revealed the numerous biological activities of the fruits of Illicium verum; however, the activities of its leaves and twigs have remained undiscovered. The study aimed to investigate the phytochemical components and antibacterial activity of the various extracts from the leaves and twigs of Illicium verum. The herbal extracts were prepared by supercritical CO2 extraction (SFE) and 95% ethanol extraction, followed by partition extraction based on solvent polarity. Analysis of antimicrobial activity was conducted through the usage of nine clinical antibiotic- resistant isolates, including Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii. Among the tested samples, the SFE extracts exhibited broader and stronger antibacterial activities against the test strains, with a range of MIC between 0.1-4.0 mg/mL and MBC between 0.2-4.5 mg/mL. Observations made through scanning electron microscopy revealed potential mechanism of the antimicrobial activities involved disruption of membrane integrity of the test pathogens. Evaluation of the chemical composition by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry indicated the presence of anethole, anisyl aldehyde, anisyl acetone and anisyl alcohol within the SFE extracts, demonstrating significant correlations with the antibacterial activities observed. Therefore, the leaves and twigs of Illicium verum hold great potential in being developed as new natural antibacterial agents.

UNASSIGNED: Illicium verum commonly known as star anise has been widely used in many Asian countries for pharmaceutical treatment for many diseases. The aim of the present study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory, astringent, and antimicrobial properties of an Illicium verum mouthwash.
UNASSIGNED: The present double blinded randomized clinical trial was conducted on fifty subjects, divided into groups A and B. Illicium verum mouthwash (group A) and placebo (group B) were provided to subjects for 21 days; after 14 days, washout period mouthwashes were switched as per crossover design between groups for 21 days. The gingival index (GI), papillary bleeding index (PBI), and oral microbial count were recorded at each stage of study.
UNASSIGNED: The significant intragroup difference was observed, before crossover in group A and after crossover in group B for GI, PBI, and oral microbial count at different stages of study. On comparing both group A and group B at the first and second follow-up for GI, PBI, and oral microbial count, a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed. A statistically highly significant mean intergroup and intragroup difference was seen for all the clinical parameters at different stages of study.
UNASSIGNED: The study revealed that the Illicium verum/star anise has potent antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and astringent properties.