Intake of Estragole and Trans-anethole from Fennel-containing Plant Food Supplements among Finnish Consumers

Introduction: Plant food supplements (PFS) have a long tradition of use, and they are widely consumed in many European countries. However, little is known about the risks and benefits associated with the consumption of PFS. Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a perennial aromatic herb, which has been used in traditional medicine to treat many kinds of symptoms. According to the results of the PFS Consumer Survey conducted in Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Spain and the United Kingdom, fennel ranked sixth in the pooled list of most consumed botanicals. The essential oil of fennel contains trans-anethole and estragole, among other compounds. Both have exhibited antimicrobial activity, but trans-anethole also has tumorigenic properties in laboratory animals, and estragole is carcinogenic and mutagenic at high doses.

Purpose: The objectives of the present study are to describe the consumption of PFS that contain fennel among a sample of Finnish consumers of PFS and to estimate the intake of estragole and trans-anethole from PFS with fennel among the Finnish consumers.

Methods: A cross-sectional 12-month retrospective survey was conducted in Finland and five other European countries. The sample size in Finland was 401 PFS consumers. They were from four cities located in different parts of the country. The study participants were regular PFS consumers.

Results: The estimated average intake of estragole was 0.20 mg/d (range 0.01-7.95 mg/d), and of trans-anethole 1.15 mg/d (range 0.05-63.1 mg/d).

Significance: The intake of estragole from PFS with fennel was moderate when compared with intake from other dietary sources. The intake of trans-anethole did not exceed the ADI value in the present study even in the upper range of intake. However, the individual variation of intake was quite large.