Ajowan Oil

Ajowan seeds, or bishop's weed, like other spices, are not viewed nutritionally. They are more known as adjuncts used in small quantities for flavoring numerous foods, as anti-oxidants, as preservatives, or in medicine or for the manufacture of essential oils for ultimate use in perfumery, essences and medicines etc. Its by-product is ajowan oil.

Ajowan can be used in a wide variety of food items. It possesses preservative and medicinal properties. In india it is used with pulses, meat and liver. Ground with ginger and salt, it forms chutney. In the west, it is used for making soups and curries. Ajowan is rich in calcium and iron and is used to enhance digestion. It is an anthelmintic and antiseptic. Ajowan oil is used for treating cholera, stomach pains, diarrhea & indigestion.

Ajowan oil is an almost colorless to brownish liquid, which has a characteristic odor and a sharp burning taste. On standing, a part of the thymol may separate from the oil in the form of crystals, which is sold in indian market under the name of `ajowan ka phul` or `sat ajowan` and is much valued in medicine, as it has nearly all the properties ascribed to the ajowan seeds. This was used in surgery as an antiseptic and was also found to be of great value in the treatment of hookworm disease. The aqueous solution of thymol is an excellent mouthwash and thymol is a constituent of many toothpastes. There are a number of medicinal virtues ajowan oil has and thus is considered as an important in case of indian systems of medicine. Therefore there is possibility of using this source for planning projects for manufacture of various medicinal preparations.