# The Role of Anethole in Reproductive Physiology and In Vitro Biotechnologies—A Review **Authors:** André Luiz da Conceição‐Santos, José Ricardo de Figueiredo PMC · DOI: 10.1111/rda.70176 · 2026-01-13 ## TL;DR Anethole, a plant compound, shows potential to improve in vitro reproductive technologies by reducing oxidative stress and enhancing cell development. ## Contribution This review highlights anethole's novel role in modulating pathways to improve in vitro reproductive outcomes. ## Key findings - Anethole modulates key pathways in reproductive physiology. - It improves outcomes in in vitro follicle culture and oocyte maturation. - Anethole may enhance in vitro embryo culture by reducing oxidative stress. ## Abstract In vitro reproductive biotechnologies show promise for fertility preservation but still face challenges, including oxidative stress from high oxygen tension, which impairs cell viability and development. Antioxidants have been widely explored to attenuate oxidative stress during culture. Among them, anethole, a plant‐derived phenylpropanoid, stands out for its promising properties. This review explores the mechanisms and applications of anethole in reproductive physiology and its potential to enhance in vitro reproductive systems. Findings indicate that anethole modulates key pathways and may improve outcomes in in vitro follicle culture, oocyte in vitro maturation and in vitro embryo culture. These insights support future research and the strategic inclusion of anethole in reproductive biotechnology protocols. ## Linked entities - **Chemicals:** anethole (PubChem CID 637563) ## Full-text entities - **Genes:** CYP11A1 (cytochrome P450 family 11 subfamily A member 1) [NCBI Gene 1583] {aka CYP11A, CYPXIA1, P450SCC}, EREG (epiregulin) [NCBI Gene 2069] {aka EPR, ER, Ep}, ESR2 (estrogen receptor 2) [NCBI Gene 2100] {aka ER-BETA, ESR-BETA, ESRB, ESTRB, Erb, NR3A2}, CYP19A1 (cytochrome P450 family 19 subfamily A member 1) [NCBI Gene 1588] {aka ARO, ARO1, CPV1, CYAR, CYP19, CYPXIX}, PIK3CB (phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit beta) [NCBI Gene 5291] {aka P110BETA, PI3K, PI3KBETA, PIK3C1}, BAX (BCL2 associated X, apoptosis regulator) [NCBI Gene 280730], Tnfsf11 (tumor necrosis factor (ligand) superfamily, member 11) [NCBI Gene 21943] {aka Ly109l, ODF, OPGL, RANKL, Trance}, GREM1 (gremlin 1, DAN family BMP antagonist) [NCBI Gene 539079] {aka gremlin-1}, NFE2L2 (NFE2 like bZIP transcription factor 2) [NCBI Gene 4780] {aka IMDDHH, NRF2, Nrf-2}, Mapk14 (mitogen-activated protein kinase 14) [NCBI Gene 26416] {aka CSBP2, Crk1, Csbp1, Mxi2, PRKM14, PRKM15}, BCL2L1 (BCL2 like 1) [NCBI Gene 282152] {aka BCLX, Bcl-xL}, Tnf (tumor necrosis factor) [NCBI Gene 24835] {aka RATTNF, TNF-alpha, Tnfa}, AKT1 (AKT serine/threonine kinase 1) [NCBI Gene 207] {aka AKT, PKB, PKB-ALPHA, PRKBA, RAC, RAC-ALPHA}, CYP3A7 (cytochrome P450 family 3 subfamily A member 7) [NCBI Gene 1551] {aka CP37, CYPIIIA7, P-450(HFL33), P-450111A7, P450-HFLA, P450HLp2}, CYP17A1 (cytochrome P450 family 17 subfamily A member 1) [NCBI Gene 1586] {aka CPT7, CYP17, P450C17, S17AH}, PCNA (proliferating cell nuclear antigen) [NCBI Gene 515499], GPX1 (glutathione peroxidase 1) [NCBI Gene 281209], COX2 (cytochrome c oxidase subunit II) [NCBI Gene 3283880], KEAP1 (kelch like ECH associated protein 1) [NCBI Gene 9817] {aka INrf2, KLHL19}, SHH (sonic hedgehog signaling molecule) [NCBI Gene 286821], POU5F1 (POU class 5 homeobox 1) [NCBI Gene 282316] {aka OCT3, OCT4, OTF-3, oct-3, oct-4}, HMOX1 (heme oxygenase 1) [NCBI Gene 3162] {aka HMOX1D, HO-1, HSP32, bK286B10}, GSTA1 (glutathione S-transferase alpha 1) [NCBI Gene 777644], PTGS2 (prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2) [NCBI Gene 282023], BCL2 (BCL2 apoptosis regulator) [NCBI Gene 596] {aka Bcl-2, PPP1R50}, Mapk1 (mitogen-activated protein kinase 1) [NCBI Gene 26413] {aka 9030612K14Rik, ERK, Erk2, MAPK2, PRKM2, Prkm1}, Tlr4 (toll-like receptor 4) [NCBI Gene 29260], COX2 (cytochrome c oxidase subunit II) [NCBI Gene 4513] {aka COII, MTCO2}, Mapk8 (mitogen-activated protein kinase 8) [NCBI Gene 26419] {aka JNK, JNK1, Prkm8, SAPK1}, CAT (catalase) [NCBI Gene 847], SOD1 (superoxide dismutase 1) [NCBI Gene 6647] {aka ALS, ALS1, HEL-S-44, IPOA, SOD, STAHP}, PPARG (peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma) [NCBI Gene 5468] {aka CIMT1, FPLD3, GLM1, NR1C3, PPARG1, PPARG2}, HAS2 (hyaluronan synthase 2) [NCBI Gene 281220], PTGS2 (prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2) [NCBI Gene 5743] {aka COX-2, COX2, GRIPGHS, PGG/HS, PGHS-2, PHS-2}, ESR1 (estrogen receptor 1) [NCBI Gene 2099] {aka ER, ESR, ESRA, ESTRR, Era, NR3A1}, RPS6KB1 (ribosomal protein S6 kinase B1) [NCBI Gene 6198] {aka PS6K, S6K, S6K-beta-1, S6K1, STK14A, p70 S6KA}, NFKB1 (nuclear factor kappa B subunit 1) [NCBI Gene 4790] {aka CVID12, EBP-1, KBF1, NF-kB, NF-kB1, NF-kappa-B1}, CDX2 (caudal type homeobox 2) [NCBI Gene 618679] {aka CDX-2}, BAX (BCL2 associated X, apoptosis regulator) [NCBI Gene 581] {aka BCL2L4}, MTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase) [NCBI Gene 2475] {aka FRAP, FRAP1, FRAP2, RAFT1, RAPT1, SKS}, STAR (steroidogenic acute regulatory protein) [NCBI Gene 6770] {aka STARD1}, CAT (catalase) [NCBI Gene 531682], Nfkbia (NFKB inhibitor alpha) [NCBI Gene 25493] {aka RL/IF-1}, MAPK8 (mitogen-activated protein kinase 8) [NCBI Gene 5599] {aka JNK, JNK-46, JNK1, JNK1A2, JNK21B1/2, PRKM8}, SOD1 (superoxide dismutase 1) [NCBI Gene 281495] {aka SOD1L1}, MAPK1 (mitogen-activated protein kinase 1) [NCBI Gene 5594] {aka ERK, ERK-2, ERK2, ERT1, MAPK2, NS13} - **Diseases:** PCOS (MESH:D011085), cancer (MESH:D009369), colitis (MESH:D003092), endocrine disorders (MESH:D004700), fibrosarcoma (MESH:D005354), oestrogen deficiency (MESH:D007153), inflammation (MESH:D007249), estrogenic (MESH:D056828), myocardial infarction (MESH:D009203), adrenocortical carcinoma cell line (MESH:D018268), necrotic enteritis (MESH:D004751), hepatic ischemia (MESH:D007511), oral cancer (MESH:D009062), bone loss (MESH:D001847) - **Chemicals:** Reactive nitrogen species (MESH:D026361), Anethole (MESH:C006578), ascorbic acid (MESH:D001205), iron (MESH:D007501), 17beta-estradiol (MESH:D004958), thiol (MESH:D013438), P4 (MESH:C015586), 1bovine (-), RNS (MESH:D011886), lipid (MESH:D008055), GSH (MESH:D005978), carbon monoxide (MESH:D002248), LPS (MESH:D008070), estrone (MESH:D004970), MDA (MESH:D008315), progesterone (MESH:D011374), oil (MESH:D009821), cholesterol (MESH:D002784), biliverdin (MESH:D001664), estriol (MESH:D004964), heme (MESH:D006418), androstenedione (MESH:D000735), ROS (MESH:D017382), steroid (MESH:D013256), LH (MESH:D007986), tyrosine (MESH:D014443), T (MESH:D014316), oxygen (MESH:D010100), testosterone (MESH:D013739), essential oil (MESH:D009822), DHEA (MESH:D003687) - **Species:** Syzygium anisatum (species) [taxon 178109], Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606], Pimpinella anisum (species) [taxon 271192], Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker's yeast, species) [taxon 4932], Anethum graveolens (dill, species) [taxon 40922], Mus musculus (house mouse, species) [taxon 10090], Bos taurus (bovine, species) [taxon 9913], Foeniculum vulgare Mill [taxon 48038], Rattus norvegicus (brown rat, species) [taxon 10116] - **Mutations:** C-21 C, C-237 C - **Cell lines:** choriocarcinoma cell — Rattus norvegicus (Rat), Rat choriocarcinoma, Cancer cell line (CVCL_7996), BeWo — Homo sapiens (Human), Gestational choriocarcinoma, Cancer cell line (CVCL_0044), H295R — Homo sapiens (Human), Adrenal cortex carcinoma, Cancer cell line (CVCL_0458), IEC-6 — Rattus norvegicus (Rat), Finite cell line (CVCL_0343) ## Figures 3 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12797112/full.md --- Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12797112