Fennel is an annual, seed-produced plant with a strong flavoured fruit. In the plant, which grows up to about 1 m in height, the leaves are thread-shaped. Fruits are formed inside the flower umbrella. The trunk and branches are quite strong and resistant to bending.
The seeds, leaves and roots of fennel can be used, but the seeds are the most active from a medicinal point of view. Fennel fruits have carminative, diuretic, laxative, antiseptic, sedative and stimulant effects. Plants growing in the Mediterranean and Southern Europe contain 2.32-4.95% essential oil in their seeds. The main component of the essential oil is trans-Anethol and it varies between 30-60%.
Other compounds: Trans-anethole, fenkon, estragol (metil chavicol) ve α-phellandren