ajowan seed

Ajowan seed, derived from the annual herb *Trachyspermum ammi* (also known as ajwain or carom), is a traditional botanical medicine and spice native to the eastern Mediterranean and widely cultivated in India, Iran, and the Middle East. The seeds are rich in essential oils, with the phenolic monoterpene thymol serving as the primary active constituent, alongside carvacrol, γ-terpinene, and p-cymene. Pharmacologically, ajowan seed exhibits antispasmodic, bronchodilatory, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antimicrobial properties. Its therapeutic effects are primarily mediated through the blockade of voltage-gated L-type calcium channels, positive allosteric modulation of GABAA receptors, and inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes. Clinical trials have investigated ajowan seed extracts and oils for the management of primary dysmenorrhea, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, neuropathic pain, and pediatric dental injection pain.

Other names

ajowanajowan carawayajwainajwain seedajwain seedsbishop's weedcaromcarom seedcarom seedsCarum copticumthymol seedsTrachyspermum ammiTrachyspermum copticum