Ajowan is an annual herbaceous spice and medicinal plant. Ajowan has its main importance in North Indian and Arabian regions, as well as in Central Asian regions, where the dried fruits, reminiscent of celery seeds, are valued as a spice and their antibacterial and fungicidal properties are used. The main component of the essential oils of ajwain fruit is thymol, which, in addition to its considerable burning pungency, is reminiscent of thyme in taste.
Occurrence and cultivation of ajwain
Ajowan (Tractyspermum copticum) is an annual herbaceous plant with small pinnately lobed leaves belonging to the umbelliferae family (Apiaceae) and reaches a growth height of 50 to 80 centimeters. The name Ajowan finds its origin in Indian Sanskrit and means something like “Greek”. In Germany, ajowan is often referred to as king cumin. The small ellipsoid split fruits, about two millimeters in size, show conspicuous longitudinal ribs and somewhat resemble celery seed in appearance. The fruits contain an essential oil with a high content of thymol, which is characterized by its fungicidal and bactericidal effects while having a pleasant taste. Thymol is also used in Western industrial societies as an additive in certain products such as mouthwashes and toothpaste, and is usually produced synthetically for these purposes. Ajwain has been cultivated on a limited scale for several thousand years. Its origin is believed to be in the eastern Mediterranean, possibly also in ancient Egypt. There, the essential oil was used for a long time for embalming mummies because of its fungicidal and bactericidal properties combined with a pleasant odor. Today, the area of distribution mainly includes northern Indian regions and Iran. Ajwain fruit is also widely used in Arab countries as an ingredient in certain spice blends.
Effect and application
Valued are the ajwain fruits for their essential ingredients, which consist largely of thymol. Often, ajwain fruits are also mistakenly called seeds or even lovage fruits although there is no relationship or relation to lovage. Thymol is a monoterpene that is also found in thyme, oregano, and savory. Thymol has a strong disinfectant fungicidal and bactericidal action. The chemical formula is C10H14O, which means that thymol consists exclusively of the elements carbon and hydrogen, which are available practically everywhere on our planet, and a single oxygen atom. In Indian cuisine, ajwain is mainly sought after as a pungent spice with a flavor similar to thyme, which is particularly suitable for seasoning starchy vegetables, potatoes and legumes. Because the aromatic substances it contains are more easily soluble in fat than in water, it is advisable to fry the ajwain fruit in oil or fat to dissolve the aromatic substances and allow them to pass into the oil. Because of its strong and dominant aroma and because of its pungency, which can be moderated by cooking, ajwain is rarely used as a seasoning on its own, but is usually used as an ingredient in standardized spice blends. In blends such as Berbere or Chat Masala, which are particularly well-known in India and Arab countries, ajwain is one of the most important ingredients. The spice blend Berbere is believed to have originated in Ethiopia and provides a link between Indian and Arabic preferences. Chat Masala is a purely Indian spice blend used mainly to enhance salads, desserts and various chutneys. In Bihar and Nepal, the spice mixture Panch Phoran is widely used. It is a variant of the Bengali five-spice mixture. Special mention should also be made of the so-called “perfumed butter” produced in India. It is butter flavored with ajwain, which gives it a special fragrance and a distinctive taste.
Importance for health, treatment and prevention.
The ingredients of the dried ajwain fruit are not only characterized by their aroma and burning pungent taste, but also have a strong disinfectant, antifungal and antibacterial effect. In Ayurvedic medicine, ajwain is used as a medicinal plant to relieve digestive problems and reduce fever.Apparently, the antibacterial and antifungal properties of the ingredients favor the regeneration of healthy intestinal flora after infection with germs that led to the digestive problems. According to Ayurvedic instructions, a spoonful of ajwain fruit is chewed and then rinsed down with hot water after a few minutes. This has the advantage that the bactericidal and fungicidal effect of the ingredients can already develop in the oral cavity. As a remedy, which is propagated in India against colds, with cough as well as heartburn and headache, is the so-called Omam water. It is distilled water in which ajwain fruit has been soaked and which is drunk in sips. The effect of omam water can be increased if the ajwain fruits are roasted beforehand and then soaked. In traditional medicine, thymol, the main active ingredient in ajwain fruit, is used to treat inflammation and fungal infections of the skin and mucous membranes, as well as colds and bronchial catarrh. Thymol is therefore a component of many cold remedies. It has proven particularly effective in its use against infectious molds and yeasts. For example, thymol is found as an active ingredient in vaginal capsules and in preparations for treating oral cavity fungus. When using treatments with thymol, it should be noted that too high a dosage can cause headaches and vomiting. Thymol is often added to mouthwashes and toothpastes because of its bactericidal and fungicidal effects combined with the pleasant thyme flavor. However, the thymol usually comes from industrial synthetic production.
