Phytochemical and chemotaxonomic investigations on the fruit parts of Illicium verum Hook. f

Phytochemical studies on the fruits of Illicium verum Hook. f., also known as star anise (Magnoliaceae), resulted in the isolation of thirty-five compounds, including ten phenylpropanoids ( 1 - 10 ), eight phenolic glycosides ( 11 - 18 ), five benzoic acids ( 19 - 23 ), four flavonoids ( 24 - 27 ), four lignans ( 28 - 31 ), three organic acids ( 32 - 34 ), and one monoterpenoid ( 35 ). The structures of these metabolites were determined through NMR spectroscopy analysis and comparison with existing literature. This is the first confirmation of the presence of eight compounds ( 1 , 4 - 7 , 13 , 34 and 35 ) isolated from the family Magnoliaceae, one compound ( 11 ) from the genus Illicium , and three compounds ( 12 , 28 , 30 ) from I. verum . Furthermore, the taxonomic significance of these compounds was discussed.