Antioxidant Properties and Antimicrobial Activity of Pimpinella anisum against Pathogenic Bacteria in a Laboratory Setting

Anise, scientifically known as Pimpinella anisum, is a fragrant herbaceous flowering plant that is utilised for its aromatic and flavourful properties as well as its many culinary and cosmetic applications. Many traditional Arab dishes, especially those from Iraq, call for anise seeds or anise essential oils (EOs). This study set out to accomplish just that—extract the essential oils from aniseeds, identify their chemical composition, and investigate their antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Gas chromatographic-mass spectrometry (GCMS) has uncovered twenty previously unknown chemicals. The secondary metabolites detected are: dodeca-5,7-diyne-1,12-diol, Eucalyptol, 2-9,12-Octadecadienyloxy, Estragole, trans-Caryophyllene, trans-Caryophyllene, alpha-Linolenic acid, 1,3-Benzodioxole-5-carboxylic, L-Fenchone, Gibberellic acid, palmitic acid, Gadoleic acid, and Cyclopropanedodecanoic acid. Aniseed was found to posses powerful antioxidant activity for the scavenging of Nitric oxide radical scavenging and Hypochlorous acid scavenging in a concentration dependant way, the highest antioxidant activity was registered in a concentration of 10000 ppm. The scavenging of the nitric oxide radical and hypochlorous acid scavenging of Pimpinella anisum in methanol, ethanol and standards of antioxidant activity. The various types of extracts found included crude, Ethanol fraction and standard Curcumin extracts at Nitric oxide radical scavenging 40.58±0.47, 57.13±0.60 and Curcumin (standard) 94.73±0.98 respectively. The percentage of Sequestration of hypochlorous acid were recorded 180.26±3.92, 191.59±4.01 and Ascorbic acid (standard) 219.26 ± 4.74 respectively. Antimicrobial Activity of (Methanol, Ethyl acetate and Ethanolic extract) of Pimpinella anisum against Bacillus cereus observed was: 29.34±0.45, 22.40±0.31 and 31.15 ±0.48 respectively, while recorded 23.42±0.32, 18.47±0.25 and 28.13±0.42 respectively in Enterococcus faecalis. In the same times antimicrobial activity of Pimpinella anisum against Streptococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus recorded 26.38±0.39, 20.28±0.28 and 23.45±0.29 and 19.34±0.27, 26.34±0.40 and 29.00±0.41 respectively (Figure 3 and 4) comparison with two standard antibiotics RF-Rifampicin 33.07±0.52 and AP-Ampicillin 35.08±0.57.