Anisatin is an extremely toxic, insecticidally active component of the Shikimi

Japanese star anise

Illicium anisatum, commonly known as the Japanese star anise, is a tree similar to Chinese star anise. It is highly toxic, therefore it is not edible; instead, it has been burned as incense in Japan, where it is known as...

plant. It is used in folk remedies topically in Japan, but is deadly when ingested. Symptoms begin to appear about 1-6 hours after ingestion, beginning with gastrointestinal ailments, such as diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain, followed by nervous system excitation, seizures, loss of consciousness, and respiratory paralysis, which is the ultimate cause of death.