Examination of fennel fruits by gas chromatography without preliminary distillation

Abstract IT has been observed that growing fruits of fennel, Foeniculum vulgare Mill., of both the bitter (var. vulgare (Mill.) Thelung) and sweet (var. dulce) forms grown in the same garden develop approximately the same amount of anethole per 100 fruits during their maturation (Betts, 1968). Thirteen dried fennel fruits of various origins have now been examined by gas-liquid chromatography to see how the content and proportion of the essential oil constituents relate to the values previously recorded. Anethole contents differed widely, and a fennel virtually free of anethole was found. Estragole was present instead of anethole, its presence being confirmed by infrared spectroscopy. This fennel has not been reported in commerce before.