Revealing the Potential of Star Anise Essential Oil: Comparative Analysis and Optimization of Innovative Extraction Methods for Enhanced Yield, Aroma Characteristics, Chemical Composition, and Biological Activities.

Star anise has been used for a long time in improving human health and curing diseases, owing to its unlimited components with complex chemical structures and a wide range of bioactivities. This study is aimed to investigate the influence of extraction methods (steam distillation, ethanol Soxhlet extraction, supercritical carbon dioxide extraction, subcritical n-butane extraction) on the yield, aroma properties, chemical composition, and bioactivity of star anise essential oils. Electronic nose detection revealed the essential oils from subcritical extraction exhibited the most intense aroma, while the essential oils from ethanol Soxhlet extraction had a more complex aroma profile.

Immunostimulatory and antioxidant activities of the selenized polysaccharide from edible .

polysaccharide (GFP2) was extracted and purified by anion-exchange chromatography. A selenized polysaccharide, SeGFP2, was modified in selenylation by nitric acid-sodium selenite (HNO-NaSeO) method. Structural features were investigated, and the lymphocyte proliferation and antioxidant activities were compared taking GFP2 as control.