Carum carvi - Caraway

Family: Apiaceae ^{[E-flora][Wiki-1]} (Umbelliferae) Carrot ^[Wiki-2]

[1] Carum carvi

[2] Carum carvi

[3] Carum carvi

"Carum carvi is a BIENNIAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 0.3 m (1ft in).
It is not frost tender. It is in flower from Jun to July, and the seeds ripen from Jul to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees.The plant is self-fertile.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil." ^[PFAF]

"General: Biennial herb from a taproot; stems single at the base, branching above, 0.3-1 m tall." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}
"Leaves: Upper leaves finely dissected into linear, threadlike segments; lower leaves stalked, well-developed, 8-17 cm long." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}

"Habitat / Range Fields and waste places in the montane zone; infrequent throughout BC S of 56degreeN; introduced from Eurasia." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}

Origin Status: Exotic ^[E-flora]

Hazards

• "Contraindications, Interactions, and Side Effects (Caraway) — Class 1 (AHP). None known (KOM).“Hazards and/or side effects not known for proper therapeutic dosages” (PH2). We might extend to all apiaceous oils Bisset’s comments on celeryseed oil, “The drug is contraindicated in inflammation of the kidneys,” since apiaceous EOs may increase the inflammation as a result of epithelial irritation (BIS). Overdoses for long periods can lead to kidney and/or liver damage (PHR; PH2). Antispasmodic and carminative effects confirmed; caraway reduces GI foam (PNC). ED50 caraway oil as antispasmodic 20 mg/l (HH2)." ^{[HMH Duke]}
• "An intake of larger dosages of the volatile oil (see for example in caraway liquor) for extended periods can lead to kidney and liver damage." ^[PDR]
  
• Myristicine
  • "Caraway is said to contain the alleged 'psychotroph' myristicine[218]. Excessive intake can lead to kidney and liver damage [301]" ^[PFAF]

Uses

"I find it reassuring that this small biennial herb has survived and is still grown today for use in the kitchen and as a medicinal herb. Records show that it was used in the Stone Age, and it has been found in Egyptian tombs and at the ancient caravan stops along the Silk Road trade route. In Elizabethan feasts, eating caraway seeds became a traditional way to finish the banquet, and the herb was also reputed to ward off witches and to prevent lovers from straying. I like using the seeds and leaves in the kitchen for their flavor, and I love to grow the herb for its delicately pretty flowers." ^{[Grow Herbs]}

Edible Uses

• Plant
  • "plant included in the “pistic” blend; shoots, achenes and sprouts raw as spices in salads or cooked in the spring blend." ^[ETWP]
    
• Seed
  • "Seed - raw or cooked. A spicy flavour, it is used as a flavouring in confectionery and bread, also as a flavouring in salads, vegetables etc[2, 4, 5, 9, 18, 20, 27, 183]. It is high in protein and fat[14]. The seed is often chewed after a meal in order to sweeten the breath and also to relieve heartburn after a rich meal[244]." ^[PFAF] "seeds, as spice in bread and sauerkraut" ^[Luczaj]
  • Lore:
    • "So ubiquitous was the use of caraway seeds in this country in the nineteenth century and into the twentieth that “Seeds” alone always identified them. Seed cake is a very old recipe – it used to be an essential institution at the feasts given by farmers to their labourers at the end of wheatsowing (Grieve.1931)." ^{[DPL Watts]}
    • "Caraway comfits are the usual flavouring added to cabbage as it is being salted down to make sauerkraut (Mabey.1972), and Germans use them to flavour cheese, cabbage soup and household bread (Grieve.1933), and one finds them with meat, and in sausages, too (Usher). They have even been put in beer (Johnson)." ^{[DPL Watts]}
      
    • "Caraways are often mentioned by old writers as an accompaniment to apples (Ellacombe). The custom of serving roast apples with a little saucerful of caraway seeds, well known in Shakespeare’s time, is still kept up at Trinity College, Cambridge, and at some London livery dinners. And in Scotland a saucerful is put down at tea to dip the buttered side of bread into, and called “salt water jelly” (Grieve.1933)." ^{[DPL Watts]}
      
  • "Essential Oil: An essential oil from the seed is used as a flavouring in ice creams, candy, soft drinks etc[183, 238]. It is an essential ingredient of the liqueur kümmel[244]." ^[PFAF]
    
  • "Tea: The crushed seeds are brewed into a tea[183]. It has a soothing effect on the digestion[244]." ^[PFAF]
    
• Root
  • "Cooked[183]. Used as a vegetable like parsnips[2, 4, 9, 14, 55, 115]. Stronger in taste than parsnips, but liked by many[207]. A delicious vegetable[244]." ^[PFAF]
    
• Leaves
  • "Raw or as a flavouring in soups etc[2, 14, 27, 55, 115]. The young leaves are much less spicy than the seeds and are a good salad[9], having a mild parsley-dill flavour[238]. They give an aromatic tang to salads[244]. Older leaves can be cooked as a spinach[183]." ^[PFAF]
    

Other Uses

• Essential Oil
  • "An essential oil from the seed is used in perfumery, for scenting soap, as a parasiticide etc[7, 46, 74, 171]. Twenty-five kilos of seed yield about 1 kilo of essential oil[4]. The essential oil yield of the seed from plants cultivated in Poland is up to 10.33%[240]." ^[PFAF]
  • "An essential oil from the seed is used in perfumery, but consumption of it in Europe is far more important as a spice, or in the form of oil as an ingredient of alcoholic liquors (Fluckiger & Hanbury), Kummel for instance. A spice wine used to be made from the seeds, too – it was called Aqua compositis. Henry VIII was apparently very fond of it (Genders)." ^{[DPL Watts]}
    

Medicinal Uses

"Caraway has a long history of use as a household remedy especially in the treatment of digestive complaints where its antispasmodic action soothes the digestive tract and its carminative action relieves bloating caused by wind and improves the appetite[4, 238, 254]." ^[PFAF]
"The German Commission E Monographs, a therapeutic guide to herbal medicine, approve Carum carvi for dyspeptic complaints (see [302] for critics of commission E)." ^[PFAF]

• "The seed is antiseptic, antispasmodic, aromatic, carminative, digestive, emmenagogue, expectorant, galactogogue and stimulant[4, 7, 9, 21, 46, 165, 222, 240]." ^[PFAF] "The seed is used in Tibetan medicine where it is considered to have an acrid taste and a heating potency[241]. It is used to treat failing vision and loss of appetite[241]." ^[PFAF]
  
• Harvesting: "The seed is harvested when fully ripe, then dried and stored in a cool, dry place out of the sunlight[244]." ^[PFAF]
• Indigestion: "It can be chewed raw for the almost immediate relief of indigestion and can also be made into infusions[238]." ^[PFAF]
  
• Chest Ailments: "The seed is also used in the treatment of bronchitis and are an ingredient of cough remedies, especially useful for children[254]." ^[PFAF]
  
• Galactogogue: "The seed is also said to increase the production of breast milk in nursing mothers[254]." ^[PFAF]
  
• Essential Oil: "The essential oil can be extracted from the seed and has similar properties[4]." ^[PFAF] "Essential oil obtained by steam distillation of the dry fruits of Carum carvi L" ^{[CRC HEO]}
  • "Production: Caraway oil consists of the essential oil extracted from the ripe fruits of Carum carvi. Caraway is harvested when completely ripe and threshed 3 weeks later. The oil is recovered from the crushed seeds by a process of aqueous steam distillation." ^[PDR]
  • "Unproven Uses: Caraway is used for gastrointestinal cramps, flatulence and feelings of fullness, as well as nervous cardiac-gastric complaints." ^[PDR]
• "In folk medicine, Caraway is used to improve lactation in nursing mothers, as an emmenagogue and to settle the stomach. The essential oil is used as constituent in mouthwashes and bath additives." ^[PDR]
• "Preparations from the essential oil are for internal use. The comminuted fresh drug is used for infusions and other galenic preparations." ^[PDR]
  
• "Preparation: An infusion i.s prepared by pressing l to 2 teaspoonfuls of seeds before using and pouring 150 ml of hot water over it, draining after 10 to 15 minutes." ^[PDR]
  
• "Daily Dosage: The average single dose of oil is 2 to 3 drops on sugar; caraway, 1 to 5 gm. The average daily dose of oil is 3 to 6 drops; caraway, 1.5 to 6 gm." ^[PDR]
• "Storage: Protect from light and moisture in glass or metal containers." ^[PDR]
  
• Tea: A tea made from the seeds is a pleasant stomachic and carminative, it has been used to treat flatulent colic[207, 222]." ^[PFAF]
• "It is often added to laxative medicines to prevent griping[238]." ^[PFAF]
  

Lore: "The medicinal use of the seeds dates back to early times... Its main use, in the form of an essential oil, has always been as a carminative. “It consumeth winde”, Gerard wrote. The prescription appears again in American domestic medicine. Gerard went on with his list of virtues, “it helpeth conception … and is mixed with counterpoysons …” There are just as fantastic prescriptions much later than in his day – for earache, as an example – the patient was advised to pound up a hot loaf with a handful of bruised seeds, and clap this to his ear (Fernie). And Culpeper said the seed “helpeth to sharpen the Eye-sight”, and the seed was used in Tibetan medicine to treat eye diseases (Kletter & Kriechbaum). A Cambridgeshire cough remedy sounds more realistic: two ounces of caraway seeds boiled in a quart of water down to a pint, half strain off, sweeten with sugar, add a glass and a half of rum. Take a wineglassful every night on going to bed (Porter.1969)" ^{[DPL Watts]}

Select Indications (Caraway) — Anorexia (2; APA; HHB; KOM; PIP); Bacteria (1; APA; HH2; PHR; PH2; TAD; WO2); Cancer (1; APA; TAD); Candida (1; HH2; PHR; PH2); Cardiopathy (f; PHR; PH2); Cold (2; APA; PHR); Colic (1; DEP; KOM; PIP; WO2); Cough (2; APA; PHR); Cramp (1; APA; DEP; HH2; KOM; PHR; PH2; SHT; TAD; WO2); Dyspepsia (1; APA; DEP; HHB; KOM; PHR; SHT); Enterosis (f; DEP; PH2); Fungus (1; APA; HH2; WO2); Gas (1; APA; DEP; HHB; JAD; KOM; PHR; SHT); Gastrosis (1; PH2; PIP; PNC; WO2); Infection (1; APA; HH2; PHR; PH2; WO2); Mycosis (1; APA; WO2); Rheumatism (1; HHB; WO2); Water Retention (f; EFS; WO2); Worm (f; DEP; EFS); Yeast (1; HH2; PHR; PH2). ^{[HMH Duke]}

"Dosages (Caraway) — 1.5–6 g fruit (PIP); 1–2 tsp crushed seed/cup water 2–4 ×/day, between meals (APA); chew 1 tsp seed 3–4 ×/day (APA); 0.5–2 g powdered seed (PNC); 0.05–0.2 ml concentrated seed water (PNC); 0.5–1 tsp tincture up to 3 ×/day (APA); 3–4 ml liquid extract 3–4 ×/day (APA); 3–6 drops oil (PIP); 0.05–0.2 ml caraway oil (PNC)." ^{[HMH Duke]}

Pharmacology

"Activities (Caraway) — Anthelminthic (f; DEP); Antianemic (1; APA); Antibacterial (1; APA; PHR; PH2; TAD; WO2); Anticancer (1; APA; TAD); Antihistaminic (1; APA); Antiinflammatory (f; SHT); Antiseptic (1; KOM; PIP; PH2); Antispasmodic (1; APA; HH2; KOM; PH2; SHT; TAD); Aperitif (1; APA); Candidicide (1; HH2; PHR; PH2); Carminative (1; APA; DEP; JAD; SHT); Choleretic (1; HH2; PHR; PH2); Collyrium (f; DEP); Digestive (1; APA); Diuretic (f; WO2); Emmenagogue (f; APA; PHR; PH2); Expectorant (f; PNC; SHT); Fungicide (1; APA; WO2); Lactagogue (f; APA; HHB; MPI; PHR; PH2); Larvicide (1; APA; WO2); Myorelaxant (1; APA); Neurotropic (f; WO2); Stimulant (f; PNC); Stomachic (f; HHB; MPI; PHR); Uterorelaxant (1; APA); Vermifuge (f; EFS)." ^{[HMH Duke]}

"In animal tests the drug had a spasmolytic effect. The antimicrobial effect has been demonstrated against bacillus, pseudomonas, and Candida; dermatomyces are also inhibited. The choleretic effect has been described in a study which is not accessible." ^[PDR]

Phytochemistry

Essential oil
Components, %: Cadinene – 37.2; carvone – 31.2; dihydrocarveol – 9.5; and others [1]
Aerial Parts
Essential oil, % abs. dry wt: 2.5–7.67 [1]
Components, %: Carvone – 41.0–60.0; limonene – 30.0; and others [1]
Fruit
Mass of 1,000, g: 1.750 [2]; 2.0 [3]
Oil, % dry wt: 19.4 [3]; 18.4–21.18 [1]
Iodine value, % J2: 135.0 [3]
FAs
Composition (GLC, Ag+ TLC), %: 16:0 – 5.2; 18:0 – 1.1; 18:1(6) – 35.4; 18:1(9) – 24.1; 18:2 – 33.9; others (2) – 0.2 [3]
Essential oil, % abs. dry wt: 6.40 [2], 3.0–6.0 [4] ^[LEO]

"This is one of a group of plants whose seed oils contain petroselinic acid (∆6–18:1). This reaches levels of 35 to 43% in caraway, 66 to 73% in carrot, 31 to 75% in coriander, and ~80% in parsley (Ucciani, 1995a). This isomer of oleic acid is a potential source of lauric and adipic acids as products of oxidative cleavage. The C6 dibasic acid is an important component of many polyamides (nylons) and is usually made from cyclohexane by a reaction reported to be environmentally unfriendly. The use of petroselinic acid in food and in skin-care products has been described in two patents (Anon., 2003a)." ^{[CRC TLHB]}

"In the berries: volatile oil, fatty oil, polysaccharides, proteins, furocoumarins (traces)" ^[PDR]
"In volatile oil: in particular D-(+)-carvone and D-(+)- limonene" ^[PDR]

Caraway – Carum carvi ^{[PFAF - Source not given]}

Caraway – Carum carvi ^{[PFAF - 218]}

^{[Turner&Kuhnlein]}

Cultivation
"Succeeds in ordinary garden soil as long as it is not too wet in winter[1]. Prefers a moist soil in full sun or partial shade[4, 200]. Tolerates a pH in the range 4.8 to 7.6. Caraway is a well-known herb that has been cultivated for its culinary and medicinal uses since ancient times[244]. It is frequently cultivated in the modern herb garden and sometimes also commercially[4, 46], there are some named varieties[183]. Plants growing in more northerly latitudes and also in full sun are richer in essential oils and therefore more aromatic[4, 245]. Plants strongly resent root disturbance[200]. They often self-sow freely when in a suitable location[244]. This species is deep rooted[201] and is a good plant for breaking up the sub-soil on heavy, wet land[18, 20]. It dislikes growing near fennel or wormwood[14, 20] but is a good companion for most plants, especially those that are shallow-rooted[201]. The flowers attract parasitic wasps to the garden, these prey on aphids and so help to reduce populations of insect pests[238]." ^[PFAF]

Dynamic Accumulator: Phosphorus ^{[DynamicAccumulator]}

• "It is important to use fresh seed because it remains viable for only one year." ^{[Grow Herbs]}
  
• "Caraway is not suited to container growing." ^{[Grow Herbs]}
• "If planting out young plants in spring, cover the plants with horticultural fleece to protect them from carrot-root fly; rotating the crop will reduce the risk of an attack." ^{[Grow Herbs]}
  
• "Leaves can be picked fresh for use from the first-year crop; they have a mild parsleylike flavor. The seeds can be picked to use fresh from the second-year crop in early summer, or for drying as soon as they turn brown and start to drop from the flowerhead" ^{[Grow Herbs]}

Synonyms

• Bunium carvi. Carum aromaticum. Carum decussatum. Foeniculum carvi. .
• Carum velenovskyi Rohlena ^{[HMH Duke]}

"Carum is a genus of about 20 species of flowering plants in the family Apiaceae, native to temperate regions of the Old World. The most important species is caraway (C. carvi), the seeds of which are widely used as a culinary spice. In the Mongolian Flora (adjunctive by Urgamal M., 2012) is two species (C. carve L., C. buriaticum Turcz.) belong to the genus Carum L." ^[Wiki-1]

Local Species;

1. Carum carvi - Caraway ^[E-flora]

"Carum copticum Benth. & Hook. f. (Apiaceae). bishop’s weed. The smoke of burning seeds was used in Iran to clean a woman’s uterus (Mohagheghzadeh et al. 2007). In India, the seeds were sometimes smoked or taken as snuff for the relief of migraine headache or delirium (Williamson 2002). In the latter case, the species was referred to by its synonym, Trachyspermum ammi (L.) Sprague ex Turrill" ^[UAPDS]

References

• [E-flora] http://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Carum%20carvi [Accessed: 5/11/2015]
• [LEO]A.I. Glushenkova (ed.), Lipids, Lipophilic Components and Essential Oils from Plant Sources, DOI 10.1007/978-0-85729-323-7, # Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012
• [Luczaj]Archival data on wild food plants used in Poland in 1948, Łukasz Łuczaj, Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 2008, 4:4
• [PFAF] http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Carum+carvi, Accessed May 11, 2015
• [Wiki], Wikipedia Accessed May 11, 2015
  • [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carum [Sources not given], Accessed March 17, 2021
  • [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apiaceae, , Accessed March 17, 2021
    • Stevens, P.F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, June 2008.

Image References

• [1] Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
• [2] Laval University, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
• [3] Laval University, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons