Botanical name Trachyspermum ammi L
Botanical synonyms Carum copticum L., Trachyspermumcopticum L
Family Apiaceae (Umbelliferae)
Source Seeds
Origin India
Processing Method Steam Distillation
CAS Number 91745-13-0
Color/Consistency Ajowan is an herbaceous annual, 30 -70 cm (1 -2 ft) in height, bearing feathery leaves and red flowers. The oil is a pale yellowy brown, and thin.
Aroma Ajowan has a herbaceous, spicy, medicinal odor, with a strong top not similar to thyme.
Blends With Thyme, Parsley and Sage Dalmatian
Product Abstract
Ajowan Essential Oil, extracted from ajwain aka ajowan caraway or bishop’s weed, is an annual herb in Apiaceae family that originates in India. Normally, both the leaves and the fruit are consumed by humans. The ajwain plant is similar to parsley. Even though it does not, even many popular dictionaries state that ajwain comes from the lovage plant. Hydrodistillation of Ajwain fruits yields an essential oil consisting primarily of thymol, gamma-terpinene and p-cymene.
History
Ajwain originated in the Middle East, possibly in Egypt. It is now principally grown and used in the Indian Subcontinent, but also in Iran, Egypt and Afghanistan. It is historically used in Ayurvedic Medicine and Indian cooking. It was used in WWII as an antiseptic because of its high thymol content, but now synthetics have taken its place. It is sometimes used as an ingredient in berbere, an Ethiopian spice mixture.
Harvesting/Extraction Information
Ajowan essential oil is steam distilled from the seeds of Ajowan. The oil is extracted from the leaves and flowers also using the steam distillation process.
Common Usage
Antifungal
Thymol and beta-pinene are the chief antifungal components present in Ajowan essential oil. A small amount when applied over the infected area can be used to eliminate molds, yeasts and fungi.
Pain Relief
Ajowan essential oil can cure two kinds of pain - arthritic and earache. To alleviate your pain, you must massage it on our knees and use as eardrops respectively. Some researches show that it can also deal with rheumatic pain.
Common Cold
Merely by smelling the ajowan essential oil, you can get relief against acute attack of common cold and even mild migraine headache.
Kidney Stones
It proves to be an excellent reliever for the pain and other discomfort caused by kidney stones and infections concerned with the urinary system. Ajowan essential oil contains excellent cleansing properties and is diuretic. By mixing it with Cumin oil and sesame oil in a 4:2:5 ratio and massaging your abdomen and back with the mixture, you can boost the frequency of urination. It helps remove toxic salts, uric acid and fat that may lead to urinary infections.
Bronchodilator
Ajowan essential oil can help relax your breathing and allow more oxygen to reach your lungs. According to researchers, alpha-pinene present in the oil is the primary component responsible for it.
Skin Care
The anti-microbial agents present in the oil helps in cleansing the skin. It is widely used in natural skincare products like soaps, lotions and bath oils.
Major Components
Thymol: 36.9–53.8%
g-Terpinene: 14.6–35.0%
p-Cymene: 20.8–24.0%
Carvacrol: 1.0–16.4%
(þ)-Limonene: 0.25–5.1%
b-Pinene: 1.2–3.5%
a-Pinene: 0.3–1.8%.
Safety Summary
Hazards
Drug interaction; may inhibit blood clotting; skin irritation (low risk); mucous membrane irritation (moderate risk).
Cautions (oral)
Anticoagulant medication, major surgery, peptic ulcer, hemophilia, other bleeding disorders (Box 7.1). Maximum dermal use level: 1.4%
Organ-Specific Effects
Adverse skin reactions
No information found for ajowan oil. In a 48 hour occlusive patch test on 50 volunteers, the highest concentration of thymol producing no adverse reaction was 5% (Meneghini et al 1971).
Cardiovascular effects
Thymol and carvacrol inhibit platelet aggregation (Enomoto et al 2001), an essential step in the blood clotting cascade.
Gastrointestinal toxicity
No information found for ajowan oil. Because of its thymol content, ajowan oil may possess some degree of mucous membrane irritancy.
Systemic Effects
Acute toxicity: No information found
Carcinogenic/anticarcinogenic potential
No information found, but ajowan oil contains no known carcinogens. (þ)-Limonene, carvacrol and thymol display antitumoral activity
Drug interactions
Anticoagulant medication, because of cardiovascular effects, above.
A type of ajowan oil devoid of thymol does exist, containing 46% carvone and 38% limonene. Ajowan oil is rarely found outside India, the Seychelles and the West Indies.
