PHYTOCHEMICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF CARUM CARVI

Rizwan Mohiyuddin Khan, *Wasim Ahmad, Minhaj Ahmad and Azhar Hasan

ABSTRACT

Carum carvi, Linn (Zeera Siyah) is one of the earliest cultivated herbs in Asia, Africa and Europe. It is an annual or biennial glabrous herb, 30-100 cm in height with narrow tip cylindrical fruits. The fruits have an aromatic, warm and sharp taste with a characteristic odour and they have been used since ancient era to treat digestive disorders. The seeds are widely used as spice for flavoring and seasoning foods like bread, pickles, sauces and salads because of its pungent and anise like flavor and aroma. Medicinal use of caraway fruit has been widespread in several ethno medical systems. It has shown diverse biological and pharmacologic activities. it has been used in Unani medicine (Tibb-e-Unani) and other traditional system of medicine from time immemorial. Keeping in view the medicinal importance of the drug in Unani Medicine, an attempt has been made to review the available literature on traditional uses and pharmacological properties of the plant.

Keywords: Carum carvi, Caravy, Zeera Siyah.