Abstract

PHYTOPHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF CUMINUM CYMINUM LINN. AS A POTENTIAL MEDICINAL SEEDS: AN OVERVIEW

Harpreet Kaur Dhaliwal*, Rajmeet Singh, Jaswinder Kaur Sidhu,
Jasvir Kaur Grewal

ABSTRACT

Cuminum cyminum family Umbelliferae have been used since antiquity for the treatment of various indications in traditional healing systems in wide geographical areas commonly known as the zeera. It is is a small slender, herbaceous annual growing throughout ethnomedical systems from Northern Europe to Mediterranean regions, Russia, Iran, Indonasia and North America, where it is remained as an integeral part of their folk medicines.The main cumin growing areas are Rajasthan and Gujarat as well as parts of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. The different parts of plant contain volatile oil components like alpha and beta- pinene, myrcene, limonene, caryophyllene, beta-bisaboline, p-cymene, beta-phellandrene, D and g-terpenine, cuminaldehyde, cuminyl alcohol, beta- farnesene, linalool, alpha- terpenieol, benzyl cinnamate, fluro and chromocoumarin, saponins, resin, and also contains tannins, alkaloids (coniine), flavonoids (quercetin, lutein, carotene), vanillic acid and resorcinol. The plant possess anti-alzhiemer, anti-ulcer, anti-diabetic, anti-epileptic, anti-microbial, anti-fungal, analgesic, aroma, hepatoprotective, hypo or hyper cholesterolaemic, anti-nociceptive, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-asthematic, anti-stress, anti-infertility, dietryfibre, anti-cancer, blood platelet aggregation, anti-tussiveactivitesandalso has ophthalmic effects. Various phytopharmacological evaluations have been reported in this literature for the important potential of the Cuminum cyminum.

Keywords: Cuminum cyminum, Phytochemicals, Pharmacological properties.