of illicium griffithii comprising a the fruits are powdered with a wind mill b powdered fruits are then extracted with hexane with a soxhlet or soxhlet type apperatus c the defatted plant material is then extracted with chloroform d the defatted and chloroform extracted plant material was thoroughly extracted with methyl acetate ethyl acetate or similar fatty acid ester s or low boiling alkanols like methanol ethanol propanol etc e distillation of the ethyl acetate extract under reduced pressure in the range of 10 to 100 millibar at temperature in the range of 30 to 100 u00b0 c to get the crude shikimic acid f the solid material containing mostly shikimic acid is then dissolved in methanol ethanol propanol and the like 450 g crude shikimic acid per liter of alcohol g isolation of crystalline shikimic acid from the said concentrated solution alternatively fruits of illicium griffithii can be extracted with boiling water and followed by removing fatty and oily substances by hexane or petroleum ether and chloroform and distillation of the extract at 50 70 u00b0 c to get pure shikimic acid alternatively fruits of illicium griffithii can be extracted with supercritical carbon dioxide co 2 and followed by removing fatty and oily substances by hexane or petroleum ether and chloroform and drying of the extract under vacuum to get pure shikimic acid the following examples are given by way of illustration and therefore should not be construed to limit the scope of the present invention 54 g.