The Anti-inflammatory Activity of the Foeniculum vulgare L. Essential Oil and Investigation of its Median Lethal Dose in Rats and Mice

The aim of this study was to gas chromatographic analysis of extract of Foeniculum vulgare L. essential oil and to investigate its median lethal dose (LD50) and possible anti-inflammatory effects. The composition of the essential oil was as follows: 74.8% (E)-anethole, 11.1% limonene, 4.7% methyl chavicol, 2.5% fenchone and 1.3% α-pinene. The LD50 dose was found to be 1.038 mL kg-1. The essential oil of Foeniculum vulgare L. was investigated the model of carrageenan induced rat paw edema and it had an anti-inflammatory effect matching to that of etodolac at 0.050 and 0.200 mL kg-1 doses.