abstract the essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation from the fruits of pimpinella anisum l. (green anise) and foeniculum vulgare miller (fennel) were analyzed by gc and gc/ms and physicochemical properties. the oils of p. anisum and f. vulgare were found to be especially rich in (e)-anethole, 96.3% and 92.7%, respectively. the mics were determined by the tube dilution method against paenibacillus larvae. the oils showed mics values were 300 ug/ml and 250 g/ml for p. anisum and f. vulgare, respectively. both oils presented great similarity in physiochemical properties values and antimicrobial activity.