Plant Comparison
Anise vs Tansy
A side-by-side comparison of two medicinal plants — every documented constituent, action, use, safety note and cited source, assembled automatically from the Omnia Sana database.
At a glance
Anise and Tansy: they share 7 indicated uses (arthritis / joint pain, bloating, indigestion, …); 4 pharmacological actions in common.
Evidence face-off — shared uses
| Condition | Anise | Tansy | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arthritis / joint pain | 1/10 | 1/10 | Comparable evidence |
| Bloating | 1/10 | 1/10 | Comparable evidence |
| Indigestion | 1/10 | 1/10 | Comparable evidence |
| Infection (general) | 2/10 | 2/10 | Comparable evidence |
| Inflammation (general) | 1/10 | 1/10 | Comparable evidence |
| Skin irritation | 2/10 | 1/10 | Comparable evidence |
| Wounds | 2/10 | 1/10 | Comparable evidence |
Evidence scores (1–10) are computed from the tier of each cited source. “Comparable” means the two scores are within one point. Follow a score to its detailed sources.
Key Constituents
Trans-anethole typically makes up the great majority of the volatile oil and gives anise its characteristic liquorice aroma and much of its digestive and antimicrobial activity.
The fruit's lipid fraction.
Thujone is the neurotoxic, safety-limiting constituent responsible for tansy's real internal-use toxicity.
Contribute to the plant's bitter taste and antimicrobial activity.
Pharmacological Actions
Traditional & Indicated Uses
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from analgesic action
inferred from digestive action
inferred from anticancer action
inferred from analgesic action
inferred from digestive action
inferred from antimicrobial action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from digestive action
inferred from antimicrobial action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from antispasmodic action
inferred from antispasmodic action
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
Safety, Cautions & Contraindications
Generally safe when consumed in food amounts. Doses up to 20g daily considered safe for adults. May cause allergic reactions in some people. Caution advised during pregnancy and breastfeeding - stick to food amounts. Anethole can be toxic at high concentrations, particularly to the nervous system. Not enough safety data for medicinal use in children.
Duke (2002) provides clinical evidence (score 2) for anise as an antibacterial, antiseptic, antispasmodic, and expectorant. It has demonstrated estrogenic activity and is used as a clinically supported lactagogue to promote milk production. Commission E and WHO have both approved its use for catarrh and gastrointestinal spasms. Typical dosages are 0.5–1 g crushed seed three times per day in tea, or 0.05–0.2 ml of the fruit essential oil (Duke, 2002).
CAUTION: Tansy is considered toxic in medicinal doses and is NOT recommended for internal use. Thujone can cause convulsions, liver and kidney damage. Contraindicated in pregnancy (uterotonic and abortifacient). External use (as insect repellent) is generally safe. For information and historical reference only — do not use internally.
Duke (2002) rates tansy as ++ but emphasizes important safety concerns. The plant contains thujone (a neurotoxic ketone) and camphor, making it potentially toxic with internal use. Documented activities include emmenagogue, abortifacient (score 1), and insecticide. Duke strongly cautions against internal use except under professional supervision, noting that historical cases of tansy poisoning have resulted in convulsions and death. Topical use as an insect repellent is safer but should still avoid prolonged skin contact due to the essential oil's sensitizing potential. Strictly contraindicated in pregnancy (Duke, 2002).
External Ids
Botanical Description
Annual herb (Apiaceae), 30-60 cm tall, with an erect, downy stem. Lower leaves are rounded and toothed or shallowly lobed, while upper leaves are finely feathery and pinnately divided. Small white flowers are borne in compound umbels, followed by small, ridged, downy fruit ('aniseed') with a strong, sweet, liquorice scent.
Aromatic perennial herb (Asteraceae), 50-120 cm tall, with erect, reddish, ridged stems. Leaves are finely divided, fern-like and strongly camphor-scented. Flat-topped clusters of small, yellow, button-like flower heads lack ray florets (petals).[11]
Habitat
Native to the eastern Mediterranean and south-west Asia, widely cultivated as a spice and medicinal crop in warm-temperate regions worldwide, needing a long, warm growing season and well-drained soil.
Native to Europe and temperate Asia, widely naturalised elsewhere; grows on roadsides, waste ground, riverbanks and disturbed grassland.[11]
Harvesting
Fruit ('seed') is harvested in late summer once the umbels have dried and turned brown, then threshed and dried further.
Flowering aerial parts are cut in summer, when in full flower, and dried for external/historical use; given this plant's real toxicity (thujone content) at internal doses, this record does not recommend or describe internal harvesting for medicinal consumption.[11]
Traditional Uses
Anise has a long Mediterranean and Middle Eastern tradition as a carminative digestive remedy for bloating and indigestion, an expectorant for coughs and catarrh, and a traditional galactagogue (milk-promoting) herb for nursing mothers. Commission E and WHO both approve its traditional use for catarrh of the upper respiratory tract and gastrointestinal spasms.[11, 12, 13, 14, 15]
Tansy has a long European history as a strewing herb, insect repellent and, historically, an internal vermifuge and emmenagogue, but its thujone and camphor content make internal medicinal use unsafe by modern standards. Today it is used, with caution, mainly as an external insect repellent; the traditional internal uses are recorded here for historical reference only, not as a recommendation.[11]
Preparations
Dosage
Duke (2002): about 0.5-1 g crushed seed three times daily in tea, or 0.05-0.2 mL of the fruit essential oil. Food amounts up to about 20 g/day are generally considered safe for adults. Avoid medicinal doses in pregnancy and in children given limited safety data. Educational reference only, not a prescription.
Tansy is NOT recommended for internal use at any dose given its thujone content and documented toxicity (convulsions, liver/kidney damage) - internal use recorded here is for historical reference only. External use (e.g. as an insect repellent) should avoid prolonged skin contact. Educational reference only, not a prescription; strictly avoid in pregnancy.
References
Lookalikes Review
Dangerous Lookalikes
References & Sources
- Samojlik, I., Petkovic, S., Stilinovic, N., Vukmirovic, S. and others (2016) 'Pharmacokinetic Herb-Drug Interaction between Essential Oil of Aniseed (Pimpinella anisum L., Apiaceae) and Acetaminophen and Caffeine: A Potential Risk for Clinical Practice', Phytotherapy Research, 30(2), pp. 253-259. doi:10.1002/ptr.5523 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.5523 - Hashemnia, M., Nikousefat, Z., Mohammadalipour, A., Zangeneh, M.M. and others (2019) 'Wound healing activity of Pimpinella anisum methanolic extract in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats', Journal of Wound Care, 28(Sup10), pp. S26-S36. doi:10.12968/jowc.2019.28.Sup10.S26 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.12968/jowc.2019.28.Sup10.S26 - Samojlik, I., Mijatovic, V., Petkovic, S., Skrbic, B. and others (2012) 'The influence of essential oil of aniseed (Pimpinella anisum, L.) on drug effects on the central nervous system', Fitoterapia, 83(8), pp. 1466-1473. doi:10.1016/j.fitote.2012.08.012 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fitote.2012.08.012 - Changizi-Ashtiyani, S., Seddigh, A., Najafi, H., Hossaini, N. and others (2017) 'Pimpinella anisum L. ethanolic extract ameliorates the gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats', Nephrology (Carlton), 22(2), pp. 133-138. doi:10.1111/nep.12953 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1111/nep.12953 - Mushtaq, A., Habib, F., Manea, R., Anwar, R. and others (2023) 'Biomolecular Screening of Pimpinella anisum L. for Antioxidant and Anticholinesterase Activity in Mice Brain', Molecules, 28(5), pp. 2217. doi:10.3390/molecules28052217 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28052217 - Alotaibi, M.F (2020) 'Pimpinella anisum extract attenuates spontaneous and agonist-induced uterine contraction in term-pregnant rats', Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 254, pp. 112730. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2020.112730 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2020.112730 - Dawoud, T. and Ameen, F (2023) 'Unveiling the bioactive potential of Pimpinella anisum L. leaf extracts: Chromatographic profiling, antimicrobial efficiency, and cytotoxicity analysis', Biomedical Chromatography, 37(12), pp. e5739. doi:10.1002/bmc.5739 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1002/bmc.5739 - Alrasheid, A.A., Kabbashi, A.S., Ali, A.O., Alrasheed, A.A. and others (2024) 'Nutritional Value and in vitro Antigiardial Activity of Anise (Pimpinella anisum L.) Seeds', Chemistry & Biodiversity, 21(3), pp. e202301254. doi:10.1002/cbdv.202301254 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1002/cbdv.202301254 - Almaimani, G., Jabbar, A.A.J., Ibrahim, I.A.A., Alzahrani, A.R. and others (2024) 'Anise (Pimpinella anisum L.) attenuates azoxymethane-induced colorectal cancer by antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic pathways in rats', Environmental Science and Pollution Research International, 31(3), pp. 4439-4452. doi:10.1007/s11356-023-31349-z Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-31349-z - Shrief, A.I., Abdel-Hamid, A.A.M., Moustafa, A. and El-Mohandes, E (2022) 'The possible protective role of Pimpinella anisum oil versus selenium on aspartame induced changes in rat cerebellar cortex', Ultrastructural Pathology, 46(6), pp. 497-510. doi:10.1080/01913123.2022.2136809 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1080/01913123.2022.2136809 - Jaradat N, et al. A Multidimensional Review of Pimpinella anisum. Molecules. 2023. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10035495/ (2023) 'https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10035495/'. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10035495/ Traditional / reference
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10035495/ - McCormick Science Institute. Anise Potential Health Benefits. https://www.mccormickscienceinstitute.com/our-research/scientific-overviews/anise-potential-health-benefits. Available at: https://www.mccormickscienceinstitute.com/our-research/scientific-overviews/anise-potential-health-benefits Traditional / reference
https://www.mccormickscienceinstitute.com/our-research/scientific-overviews/anise-potential-health-benefits - Shahrajabian MH, Sun W, Cheng Q. Anise (2019) ';5(1)', 5(1). doi:10.1080/23312025.2019.1673688 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.1080/23312025.2019.1673688 - Shojaii A, Abdollahi Fard M. Review of pharmacological properties and chemical constituents of Pimpinella anisum. ISRN Pharm. 2012;2012:510795. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3405664/ (2012) ';2012:510795'. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3405664/ Traditional / reference
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3405664/ - Singletary KW. Anise: Potential Health Benefits. Nutrition Today. 2022;57 (2022) ';57(2):73-80', 57(2). Available at: https://journals.lww.com/nutritiontodayonline/fulltext/2022/03000/anise__potential_health_benefits.10.aspx Traditional / reference
https://journals.lww.com/nutritiontodayonline/fulltext/2022/03000/anise__potential_health_benefits.10.aspx - Duke, J.A (2002) 'Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, Second Edition'. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Handbook%20of%20Medicinal%20Herbs%2C%20Second%20Edition - King County Noxious Weeds (2024) 'Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) identification and control'. Available at: https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/dnrp/nature-recreation/environment-ecology-conservation/noxious-weeds/identification-control/poison-hemlock Traditional / reference
https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/dnrp/nature-recreation/environment-ecology-conservation/noxious-weeds/identification-control/poison-hemlock - North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox (2024) 'Conium maculatum (Poison Hemlock)'. Available at: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/conium-maculatum/ Traditional / reference
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/conium-maculatum/ - Dayan, A.D (2024) 'Death of Socrates: a likely case of poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) poisoning', Clinical Toxicology (Philadelphia, Pa.), 62(1), pp. 56-60. doi:10.1080/15563650.2024.2309328 Clinical study
https://doi.org/10.1080/15563650.2024.2309328
- Kowalonek, J., Stachowiak, N., Bolczak, K. and Richert, A (2023) 'Physicochemical and Antibacterial Properties of Alginate Films Containing Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare L.) Essential Oil', Polymers, 15(2), pp. 260. doi:10.3390/polym15020260 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15020260 - Ak, G., Gevrenova, R., Sinan, K.I., Zengin, G. and others (2021) 'Tanacetum vulgare L. (Tansy) as an effective bioresource with promising pharmacological effects from natural arsenal', Food and Chemical Toxicology, 153, pp. 112268. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2021.112268 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2021.112268 - Paderin, N.M., Saveliev, Y.N. and Popov, S.V (2020) 'The effect of pectin of tansy, Tanacetum vulgare L., on anxiety and overeating food rich in fats and sugars in mice in modelling binge eating', Voprosy Pitaniia, 89(6), pp. 14-22. doi:10.24411/0042-8833-2020-10074 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.24411/0042-8833-2020-10074 - Babich, O., Larina, V., Krol, O., Ulrikh, E. and others (2023) 'In Vitro Study of Biological Activity of Tanacetum vulgare Extracts', Pharmaceutics, 15(2), pp. 616. doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics15020616 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15020616 - Puk, K. and Guz, L (2021) 'Parasiticidal effects of Tanacetum vulgare extract against Ichthyophthirius multifiliis', Polish Journal of Veterinary Sciences, 24(1), pp. 159-161. doi:10.24425/pjvs.2021.136805 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.24425/pjvs.2021.136805 - Roman, H., Niculescu, A.G., Lazar, V. and Mitache, M.M (2023) 'Antibacterial Efficiency of Tanacetum vulgare Essential Oil against ESKAPE Pathogens and Synergisms with Antibiotics', Antibiotics, 12(11), pp. 1635. doi:10.3390/antibiotics12111635 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics12111635 - Sukele, R., Lauberte, L., Kovalcuka, L., Logviss, K. and others (2023) 'Chemical Profiling and Antioxidant Activity of Tanacetum vulgare L. Wild-Growing in Latvia', Plants, 12(10), pp. 1968. doi:10.3390/plants12101968 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12101968 - Korpinen, R.I., Valimaa, A.L., Liimatainen, J. and Kunnas, S (2021) 'Essential Oils and Supercritical CO2 Extracts of Arctic Angelica, Marsh Labrador Tea and Common Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)-Chemical Compositions and Antimicrobial Activities', Molecules, 26(23), pp. 7121. doi:10.3390/molecules26237121 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26237121 - Jovanovic, M. and Poljacki, M (2003) 'Compositae dermatitis', Medicinski Pregled, 56(1-2), pp. 43-49. doi:10.2298/mpns0302043j Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.2298/mpns0302043j - Rohloff, J., Mordal, R. and Dragland, S (2004) 'Chemotypical variation of tansy (Tanacetum vulgare L.) from 40 different locations in Norway', Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 52(6), pp. 1742-1748. doi:10.1021/jf0352430 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1021/jf0352430 - Grieve, M (1931) 'A Modern Herbal'. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=A%20Modern%20Herbal - Kivilaan, A. and Bandurski, R.S (1981) 'The 1879 Beal seed viability experiment', 68(9), pp. 1290--1292. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=The%201879%20Beal%20seed%20viability%20experiment - Orav, A., Raal, A. and Arak, E (2006) 'Essential oil composition of Tanacetum vulgare L', 20(12), pp. 1129--1142. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Essential%20oil%20composition%20of%20Tanacetum%20vulgare%20L - Duke, J.A (2002) 'Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, Second Edition'. Traditional / reference
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Handbook%20of%20Medicinal%20Herbs%2C%20Second%20Edition - Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board 'Tansy Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea)'. Available at: https://www.nwcb.wa.gov/weeds/tansy-ragwort Traditional / reference
https://www.nwcb.wa.gov/weeds/tansy-ragwort - Schneider, J. and Tsegaye, Y. and W/Tensae, M. and G/Selassie, S. and Haile, T. and Bane, A. and Ali, A. and Mesfin, G. and Seboxa, T (2012) 'Veno-occlusive liver disease: a case report', Ethiopian Medical Journal, 50 Suppl 2, pp. 47-51. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22946295/ Clinical study
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22946295/
Generated automatically from the Omnia Sana plant database and its cited sources. For educational purposes only — not medical advice. Always consult a qualified practitioner before using medicinal plants.