Furocoumarin Content of Fennel—Below the Safety Threshold

• Main Authors: Diána Kerekes, Attila Csorba, Beáta Gosztola, Éva Németh-Zámbori, Tivadar Kiss, Dezső Csupor
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-08-01
• Series: Molecules
• Subjects: fennel; <i>Foeniculum vulgare</i>; furocoumarin; psoralene; 5-methoxypsoralene; imperatorin
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/24/15/2844

Furocoumarins are known for their phototoxic and potential carcinogenic effects. These types of compounds have previously been reported from fennel (<i>Foeniculum vulgare</i> Mill.), a widely used medicinal plant and spice; however, no reliable quantitative data are available on the occurrence of these compounds in fennel fruits. For the first time, we report a comprehensive analysis of fennel fruit samples of different origins, representing a wide range of accessions for their furocoumarin content. Psoralene, 5-methoxypsoralene (bergapten), and imperatorin contents of 33 fennel samples were analyzed using a sensitive liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method. When applied at the highest therapeutic dose described in the monograph issued by the European Medicines Agency, the furocoumarin content of the fruits ranged up to 1.22 &#956;g/d, which is below the most restrictive recommendations. Based on our findings, fennel consumption can be considered as safe, at least based on its low furocoumarin content.