Ajowan consists of the dried ripe fruits of the plant known as ‘Trachyspermum ammi’, belonging to the family Umbelliferae. It is also known as “Trachyspermum copticum” and “Carum copticum“.
Ajowan plant is native to Egypt and its cultivation is carried out in countries like Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan and India.
In India, extensive cultivation is carried out in the states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Bihar, Maharashtra and West Bengal.
Ajowan is a rabi crop and is cultivated during the months of October to November. Irrigation is done for the Umbelliferous crops. Harvesting is done during the months of February and March.
Ajowan fruits are yellowish brown in colour with aromatic taste.
Ajowan fruits are mainly cultivated for its volatile oil. It consists of 2 – 4 % of volatile oil, fats, proteins and carbohydrates. Some of the other chemicals that are present in Ajowan in trace amounts include tannins, glycosides and steroidal substances.
The main components of the volatile oil are thymol, p-cymene, terpinene, pinene and dipentenes.
The flavour and the taste of the drug is due to the chemical thymol and volatile oil.