Co-Evolved Species - Star Anise

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Did you know that Star Anise comes from one of the oldest lineages of flowering plants on Earth?

Although it is best known as a spice used in cooking, its evolutionary history traces back to some of the earliest angiosperms, making it a living link to the origins of flowering plants.

Evolution Biodiversity Showcase Star Anise.mp4

Evolutionary History

Genetics of Star Anise

Belongs to one of the oldest groups of flowering plants (Basal Angiosperms/Austrobaileyales).
MADS-box genes control flower development, including petals, stamens, and carpels.
These genes help scientists understand how the first flowers evolved.
Terpene biosynthesis genes produce essential oils that give Star Anise its characteristic licorice-like aroma.
Defense genes help protect the plant from insects, diseases, and environmental stress.
Many traits, such as fruit size, leaf shape, and oil production, are controlled by multiple genes (polygenic inheritance).
Gene expression can be influenced by environmental factors like sunlight, temperature, water, and soil conditions.
Star Anise contains ancestral genetic traits that provide clues about the evolution of modern flowering plants.
The plant produces shikimic acid, an important compound used in the production of antiviral medications.
Because of its ancient lineage, Star Anise is an important species for studying plant evolution and genetics.

Variability

Edible Chinese Star Anise (Illicium verum)

Native to China and Vietnam
Flowers are usually cream, white, or pale yellow
Fruit typically has 8 carpels (points)
Strong sweet licorice-like aroma
Rich in anethole (flavor compound)
Important source of shikimic acid (used to make antiviral drugs)
Widely used as a culinary spice
Used in traditional medicine

✅ Safe for human consumption

Toxic Japanese Star Anise (Illicium anisatum)

Native to Japan and Korea
Flowers are usually red to dark pink
Fruit often has more carpels (9–12 points)
Weaker or less pleasant aroma
Contains anisatin and neoanisatin toxins
Can affect the nervous system
May cause nausea, vomiting, tremors and seizures

🚫 Not used as food or spice

❌ Not safe for human consumption

Human Selection for High Shikimic Acid Production in Star Anise

Table 7. Medicinal applications of Star Anise (Illicium verum) in modern Chinese patent medicines. Adapted from Wang et al. (2023).

🌿 Star anise (Illicium verum) is an important medicinal plant valued for its chemical compounds.

💊 It is one of the main natural sources of shikimic acid, a compound used to produce the antiviral drug Tamiflu.

🧬 Different star anise plants naturally vary in the amount of shikimic acid they produce.

🌱 Humans have favored and cultivated plants with higher concentrations of shikimic acid because of their greater pharmaceutical value.

🌟 This is an example of artificial selection, where humans choose plants with desirable traits.

🌳 Over time, cultivation has increased the use of star anise as a source of medicinal compounds.

🔬 This case shows how human selection can influence the characteristics of a species by favoring useful chemical traits.

References:

ScienceDirect. (n.d.). Star anise. ScienceDirect Topics. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/food-science/star-anise

Patra, J. K., Das, G., Bose, S., Banerjee, S., Vishnuprasad, C. N., Rodriguez-Torres, M. D. P., & Shin, H.-S. (2020). Star anise (Illicium verum): Chemical compounds, antiviral properties, and clinical relevance. Phytotherapy Research, 34(6), 1248–1267. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.6614

Wang GW, Hu WT, Huang BK, Qin LP. Illicium verum: a review on its botany, traditional use, chemistry and pharmacology. J Ethnopharmacol. 2011 Jun 14;136(1):10-20. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2011.04.051. Epub 2011 Apr 29. PMID: 21549817.

Zou, Q., Huang, Y., Zhang, W., Lu, C., & Yuan, J. (2023). A Comprehensive Review of the Pharmacology, Chemistry, Traditional Uses and Quality Control of Star Anise (Illicium verum Hook. F.): An Aromatic Medicinal Plant. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 28(21), 7378. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28217378

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