Commission E has approved this herb for mucocutaneous inflammation. The galenic formulations consist of 30% fatty oil, 20% proteins, 4% volatile oils of which 94% is anethole, caffeic acids such as chlorogenic acid, and flavonoids. This herb has antibacterial, antiviral, antiphlogistic, insect repellant, and estrogenic functionalities. Anise is administered as oil or infusion. It has very rarely produced sensitization (3).
A recent blinded clinical trial in 119 children with scabies documented efficacy of 92% cure, identical to the mix of prescriptives used as the control. The anise formulation also included coconut oil and ylang ylang, an essential aromatic oil (21).