Objective To study the preventive effect of volatile oil extracted from Foeniculum vulgare Mill. Seeds on the formation of postoperative intra-abdominal adhesion. Methods Thirty-eihgt SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group (10), operation group (14) and volatile oil treated group (14):sham operation group was only operated by abdominal incision, the rest two groups were established animal model of abdominal adhesion by rubbing the procussus vermiformis of cecum with dry sterile gauze, clamping and scuffing abdominal wall. Half of rats were separately killed on day 7 and day 14 after surgery, respectively.The degree of adhesion was evaluated according to Phillips 5-scale grade and the feature of this model. Results The scores of intra-abdominal adhesion were significantly lower in the carbachol group than those in operation group both on 7 d and 14 d(P＜0.01 ). Conclusion Volatile oil extracted from Foeniculum vulgare Mill. Seeds may take a significant role in the prevention of postoperative abdominal adhesion in rats.

Objective To observe the effects of fennel essential oil and water extracts (distilled oil is not included) on gastrointestinal motility disorder caused by atropine in mice.Methods Kunming mice were randomly divided into blank control group, model group atropine, water extracts group, fennel essential oil group, mosapride group. Blank control group and model group atropine were orally administered with normal saline of 0.2 ml/10 g. Water extracts group was orally administered with Water extracts (75 mg/ml) of 0.2 ml/10 g. Fennel essential oil group was orally administered with Essential oil of 300 mg/kg. Mosapride group was orally administered with mosapride(15 mg/ml). Subjects were orally treated for 3 d. After fasting for 18 h, blank control group was intraperitoneally injected saline on the fourth day, and other groups were injected atropine sulfate injection to induce animal model of gastrointestinal motility disorder. Blue dextran(BD)2000 was used to observe the gastric emptying rate and rate of intestinal propulsion. Results Gastric emptying rates of fennel essential oil group, mosapride group, water extracts group and model group atropine were respectively(91.97±4.42)%, (90.26±5.81)%, (80.01±6.27)%,(72.88±9.13)%,and intestinal pushing rates were respectively(53.32±7.49)%,(53.02±9.13)%,(44.16±7.68)%,(37.52±6.19)%.Fennel essential oil, mosapride and water extracts enhanced the gastric emptying and intestinal propulsion in gastrointestinal motility disorder animal caused by atropine(P values were 0.004、0.001、0.004、0.003、0.025、0.015),where Fennel essential oil and mosapride were superior to the water,extracts(P values were 0.000、0.002、0.001、0.001).Conclusion Fennel extracts may promote gastrointestinal movement of atropine-induced gastrointestinal motility disorder in mice and fennel essential oil is the main active ingredient.