PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND THERAPEUTIC PROPERTIES OF BUNIUM PERSICUM (BOISS.): REVIEW

The seeds of Bunium persicum are commonly known as black cumin, black caraway, shahi zeera, and sayah zeera. In many food systems, these are used not only as flavor enhancers but also as a preservative. The main chemical components in seeds of B. persicum are, alpha-terpinen, limonene, dillapiole, p mentha 1, 4 dien 7 al, gamma terpenene, beta-pinene, phenolic compounds, fatty acids, carboxylic acids, and carbohydrates. B. persicum seeds possess multiple biological activities i.e. acetylcholinesterase inhibitory, antimicrobial, anticancer, antidiabetic, anticonvulsant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, substances that are antihistamine, antidiarrheal, antispasmodic, antihematoxic, and anti-pancreatic lipase.