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Medicinal Plant details |
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Information |
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| Sanskrit Name |
Shuklajirak, Jiraka, Jira (WOA, 1998). |
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| Common name in English |
Cumin, Comino, Cummin, Jintan |
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| Botanical Name |
Cuminum cyminum L. |
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| Parts Used |
Seeds |
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| Human Medicinal Usage |
It is regarded as a necessary seasoning agent, particularly for convalescents. Traditionally it is included in a diet of pregnant women as an effective antidote to morning sickness. Mothers use it as a carminative to make gripe water for their infants. It also possesses high medicinal properties, aiding digestion, expelling gas from stomach and intestines.
A cure for chronic dysentery and used to increase the secretion of mothers milk. Fruits are considered stomachic, stimulant, carminative and astringent, useful in dyspepsia and diarrhoea (Anonymous, 2004). Seeds are taken in snakebite. It is cooling, diuretic, digestive, astringent and antiseptic (Anonymous, 2004). It works well in curing urinary infections. Stimulant, beneficial in hoarseness of voice, paste externally applied to allay pain and irritation due to worms in the abdomen.
Oil is useful in eczema. After fever, the seeds are taken with jaggery, which improves digestion and flushes toxins out through the urine; also relieves burning. The seeds are given with curd in diarrhoea and indigestion. A remedy from 4 parts of Jeera, 2 parts of Khunkharala, 5 parts of Kalmishora, 5 parts of Dhaniya and 2 parts of Rose is made and given to cure Syphilis and Urinary Infections. Add 5 grams (1 teaspoon) to 1 glass of water and boil and given 3-5 cups daily in Burning and Frequent Urination. For prevention, add a few seeds in a glass of boiled water, drink one glass a day. The seeds are taken in difficult delivery. They also increase lactation after delivery. Roasted seeds are added during preparation of food and given to release stomach pain.
Application of the seeds and water brings relief of pain in piles, breasts, testicles and abdomen. Crushed seeds are applied with ghee and honey and salt in scorpion bites. Relief can be brought about with application of oil treated with the seeds in skin disorders.
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| Veterinary Medicinal Usage |
Palampasi' (Sida acuta) is fed to cattle seperately or mixed with Cuminum cyminum three times for treating diarrhoea (Rajamani, 1993).
Black cumin is an ingredient used in the preparation of the tonic for weakness in animals (Vivekanandan, 1996).
When animals have difficulty in breathing, about a quarter measure of kallathikai (Ficus tinctoria), 50 g cumin and two onion are pounded well, and administered to the animal (Vivekanandan, 2000-2001).
Five hundred gram of Pirandai (Vitis quadrangularis), 25g dried chilli, 5g Seegram (Cuminum cyminum) and 100 g of small onion are pounded together and given as bolus to the animal once a day (Vivekanandan, 1998).
Mixture of kallathikai, seeragam (Cuminum cyminum) and garlic can also be used to relieve asthma and cough (Vivekanandan, 1996, 2000-2001).
Stems of Cissus quadrangularis, cumin seeds, capsicum fruits, onion and rhizomes of Solena amplexicaulis are ground and the mixture soaked in water for a day. This mixture is then administered to cattle for three days.This practice helps in gaining body weight in cattle (Anonymous, 1995).
Five pods of kachakamutty, leaves of veeli, seeds of pepper and black cumin, leaves of betel, and onion bulbs are crushed and mixed with water. The resultant solution is administered to cattle for three days continuously to prevent hair loss from tail (Anonymous, 1995).
Anorexic animals are usually fed a mixture salt, turmeric,'sunth' (ginger), 'jira' (cumin), asafoetida, ajvan, kalimirch (black papper) etc. These ingredients are carminative and also help in building up an appetite and in expelling gases from rumen (stomach). This practice is recommended in milk anorexia (Patel et al., 1993).
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| Agriculture Usage |
It is believed that the water filtering through the cumin stalks prevents the germination and growth of the `Dharo'(Cynodon dactylon) a noxious weed (Thakor, 1996).
The cumin stems and leaves that remain after the grain is separated are mixed with the crop stacks in the threshing yard. The aroma probably helps repel rats (Dayalji, 1993).
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| Other Usage |
Cumin is used as a flavoring agent in cheeses, pickles, sausages, soups, stews, stuffings, rice and bean dishes, and liqueurs. Cumin is the key ingredient in all types of curries and chili powders. Oil of cumin is used in fragrances.
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| Synonyms |
Cuminum odorum Salisb. |
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| Family |
Apiaceae (Umbelliferae)
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| Description |
A small slender annual herb, about 50 cm high. Stem: much branched, angular or striated. Leaves: 2 or 3, linear, bluish-green. Flowers: brownish-yellow, tapering towards both ends and compressed laterally (WOA, 1998). |
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| Common Name in India |
Jira, Zira (Hindi & Bengali), Shimai Shiragam (Tamil), Shima Jilakan, (Telugu), Shah Jeerun (Gujarati), Jeerigay (Kannada); Jorekam (Malayalam) (WOA, 1998). |
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| Habitat |
It is cultivated in almost all the states in India except Bengal and Assam (WOA, 1998). |
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| Rainfall |
It requires average rainfall. |
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| Soil (Physical/Chemical) |
It is cultivated on liberally manured, well-drained, rich, loamy soils (WOA, 1998). |
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| Regional Distribution |
Cultivated throughout India except Bengal and Assam. Main growing areas are the Punjab and Uttar Pradesh (WOA, 1998). |
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| Global Distribution |
Widely cultivated in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. India and Iran are the largest cumin exporters in the world.
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| Chemical composition |
The odor and flavor of cumin is derived largely from the essential oil, which contains cuminaldehyde as the main constituent. Other ingredients of the oil are dihydrocuminaldehyde,d,1-pinene, d--pinene, para-cymene, -pinene, dipentene, and cuminyl alcohol (14.1-7). Synthetic cuminaldehyde is an adulterant to cumin oil and is very difficult to detect chemically. The dried seed of cumin has 2.5 to 5 percent essential oil on a dry weight basis and is obtained by steam distillation. The characteristic odor of cumin is caused primarily by aldehydes that are present in the oil
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REFERENCES |
| SR No. |
NAME |
ARTICLE TITLE |
AUTHOR |
PLACE OF PUBLICATION |
VOLUME/ISSUE |
YEAR |
PUBLISHER |
COMMENT |
| 1 |
Anonymous. 2004. |
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| 2 |
FRLHT. |
Tropical Indian Medicinal plants Propagation methods. |
Sumy, O, Ved, DK, Krishnan, R. |
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pp40-41 |
2000. |
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| 3 |
Honey Bee. |
Plant Protection: Dust as a Diseases Preventive. |
Patel, IA. |
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4(1):9. |
1993. |
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| 4 |
Honey Bee. |
Salt and Spice. |
Sanghani, AT. |
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8(4):15. |
1997. |
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| 5 |
Honey Bee. |
Prevention of wilt in cumin crop. |
Thakor, DH. |
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9(1):16. |
1998. |
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| 6 |
Honey Bee. |
Cough and Asthma of Animals. |
Vivekanandan, P. |
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7(1): 8. |
1996. |
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| 7 |
WOA |
The Wealth of Asia |
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New Delhi |
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1998 |
National Institute of Science Communication, CSIR |
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| 8 |
WOA |
The Wealth of Asia |
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New Delhi |
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1998 |
National Institute of Science Communication, CSIR |
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| 9 |
WOA |
The Wealth of Asia |
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New Delhi |
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1998 |
National Institute of Science Communication, CSIR |
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