GEC108 - A2

Groupwork # 1:CUMIN March 4, 2023

Bautista, Ginnie Vive Laron, Leanne Kailah

Espeja, Rehnee Jade Delantes Martija, Wristy

Cumin is a member of the parsley(Apiaceae) family. It is the dried seed of the herb Cuminum
cyminum and a plant primarily grown in India, Iran, Indonesia, China and the South Mediterranean.
The cumin plant is an annual herbaceous plant with slender branched stems and lace-like flowers that
grows to about 1-2 feet tall.The seeds are used in traditional medicine and also as a spice in food.

Cumin can be harvested after 3-4 months and usually

harvested by hand when the flowers become dry and brittle and
when it develops into a seed. It is similar to fennel and anise but
much darker in color. Its seeds are strongly aromatic and are said
to contain 2.5 - 4 % of essential oils composed of several
compounds that contribute to its flavor. Its aroma can be easily
modified by frying or dry toasting. The ground cumin has a
brownish-yellow color.

There are two types of cumin – regular cumin and black cumin. They both come from the same plant,
but they’re different in terms of appearance and flavor. Black cumin is rare and has a sweeter, smokier
taste than regular cumin. It’s also more expensive.

To take advantage of cumin's health benefits, it's best to use the seeds rather than the powder.

CHEMISTRY AND COMPOSITION

The cumin seeds contain aldehyde (60%) fats, amino acids, flavonoids and glycosides (22%), volatile
oil (2-5%) and the yellow colored fresh oil contains cuminaldehyde as its chief component. The major
compounds occurring in cumin are cuminaldehyde, limonene, α- and β-pinene, 1, 8-cineole, o-and
p-cymene, α- and γ–terpinene, safranal and linalool.

The cumin fruit contains resin, fatty matter, gum, lignin, protein bodies and salts, largely composed of
malates, extractive, and volatile oil.

The proximate composition of the seeds indicates that they contain fixed oil (approximately 10%),
protein, cellulose, sugar, mineral elements and volatile oil. Cumin seeds contain volatile oil (1–5%)
that imparts the characteristic aroma to the seeds. .

After the separation, a plenty number of phenolic compounds are identified in cumin fruits that
includes phenolic acids, flavonoids, phenolic diterpenes, that are closely associated with their
antioxidant activity and play an important role in inhibiting lipid peroxidation and various types of
oxidizing enzymes.

The presenting organic acids in cumin are aspartic, citric, malic, tartaric, propionic, ascorbic, oxalic,
maleic and fumaric acids and phenols are salicylic acid, gallic acid, cinnamic acid, hydroquinone,
resorcinol, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, rutin, coumarine and quercetin.

The identified essential oils in cumin are octanol, limonene, thymol, anisyl alcohol, cuminaldehyde,
anethole, vanillin and also benzoic acid. And these contains high levels of phenolic compounds,
mainly cumin aldehyde, and para-cymene.
 GEC108 - A2

The two standard active constituent of cumin such as cuminaldehyde and

para-cymene have used to protect liver against oxidative stress and disease by
increases the enzyme activities and malondialdehyde.

Cuminaldehyde
Cuminaldehyde is an aromatic monoterpenoid volatile compound and a constituent of the essential
oils cumin and has pleasant aroma and has been used commercially in cosmetics (maximum use
level 0.4% in perfumes). It is also used to inhibit the fibrillation of alpha-synuclein (α-SN) (Morshedi et
al., 2015). Cuminaldehyde has shown different effects such as anti-platelet, antibacterial,
antifungal, anti-diabetic, anti- Parkinson’s and it also activates salivary glands in mouth and
facilitates the primary digestion of the food and produce carminative effects.

Cuminaldehyde has been under study to verify its effectiveness as an antitumor agent and
has shown good results on cultured murine but not on cultured human cells.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF CUMIN (General ang Pharmacological)

Appetizer: Cumin increases the appetite.

Oral health: Cumin possesses antimicrobial properties able to fight dental plaque. It is used
in some countries to prevent tooth decay and gingivitis. In some Arab countries, the seeds are
chewed after meals to maintain oral hygiene.

Stimulant (digestive): stimulate the secretion of enzymes from the pancreas which can help
absorb nutrients into the system, boost the power of the liver’s ability to detoxify the human
body, anticarcinogenic properties, reduce the risk of stomach and liver tumors and also boost
immune system. Cumin also has the useful benefit effects such as increasing urine flow,
settling upset stomach, eliminating gas, and improving the symptoms of carpal tunnel
syndrome.

Stimulant (nervous): Cumin essential oil has a sedative, analgesic effect and slightly
soporific effects. This fruit contains at least 7 demonstrated analgesic components, among
which many of their flavors are included. For these properties, cumin is recommended in
cases of nervous dyspepsia.

Anemia: Cumin is a seed rich in iron that can be used as a supplement for people with
anemia and also by their content of aromatics appetizing properties, to treat loss of appetite
that accompanies the symptoms of anemia.

Immunomodulatory: The oral treatment of cumin stimulated the T cells (CD4 and CD8) Th1
cytokines’ expression in normal and cyclosporine-An induced immune suppressed animal.
Cumin also depleted T lymphocytes, decreased the elevated corticosterone levels and size of
adrenal glands and increased the weight of thymus and spleen in stress induced immune
suppressed mice.83

Lactation: It is rich in iron and thus very good for lactating mothers as well as women who
are undergoing menses or who are pregnant, since they are more in need of iron than others.
Moreover, cumin is said to help ease and increase secretion of milk in lactating women due to
presence of thymol, which tends to increase secretions from glands, including milk which is a
secretion from mammary glands. Cumin also has remarkable amount of calcium which is an
important constituent of milk and hence cumin is very good for lactating mothers.
 GEC108 - A2

Skin Disorders: Almost all of us know that vitamin E is good for skin. It keeps the skin young
and glowing. This vitamin is also present in abundance in cumin. The essential oils present in
this have disinfectant and anti fungal properties. This prevents any microbial and fungal
infection from affecting the skin.

Antiseptic: Cumin used in healing the cuts and bleeding

Antioxidant: The cumin oils have high antioxidant activity due to presence of monoterpene
alcohols, essential flavours, flavonoids and other poly-phenolic molecules.

Antimicrobial: Cumin seed oil and alcoholic extract inhibited the growth of Klebsiella
pneumoniae and its clinical isolates and caused improvement in cell morphology, capsule
expression and decreased urease activity (Derakhshan et. al., 2010). Cumin has shown the
anti-fungal activity against food, soil, animal and human pathogens, yeasts, aflatoxins and
mycotoxin producers.

Anticarcinogenic/antimutagenic: The dietary supplements of cumin have prevented the

occurrence of rat colon cancer induced by a colon-specific carcinogen and also decrease the
activity of β-glucuronidase and mucinase enzymes. (Nalini et. al., 1998)

Antidiabetic properties: Cumin has hypoglycemic properties and it is a very interesting herb
for treating diabetes. Cumin might lower blood sugar levels. Taking cumin along with diabetes
medications might cause blood sugar to drop too low. The biologically active constituent
cuminaldehyde inhibited aldose reductase and alpha glucosidase isolated from rat. (Chauhan
et.al, 2010)

Central nervous system: Cuminaldehyde has tyrosinase inhibitor property that prevented
the oxidation of l-3.5- dihydroxyphenyklalanine (l-DOPA). (Sayyah et. al., 2002)

Others: Cumin is also beneficial in treating renal coli, weak memory or lack of concentration,
insect bites and sting etc.

CONTRAINDCATIONS OF CUMIN
(Monteserrat Enrich, journalist specializing edible wild plants and plant uses)

Cumin (Cuminum cyminum) is not toxic when consumed as a spice, or seeds powder supplements. It
is considered a safe food. However, cumin contains medicinal substances which, consumed in
excess, can have toxic effects. The only adverse effects may occur by ingesting large quantities of
cumin seeds or, most likely, due to the use of its essential oil.

Possible toxic effects are produced mainly when using cumin essential oil.

● Neurotoxic effects: cumin contains terpenoids which may have neurotoxic effects.
● Convulsant effects: Cumin essential oil is toxic at high concentrations. It can cause
seizures and spasms.
● Phototoxic effects: cumin essential oil may have phototoxic effects because it
contains aldehyde cumic (phototoxic effectirritating). Avoid sun exposure after
treatment with essential oil of cumin.
● Irritative effects: cumin essential oil can cause skin irritation or blisters, so dilute it
previously.

Allergic people: People who are allergic to other plants of the Umbelliferae family should be
cautious with the use of cumin.
 GEC108 - A2

Bleeding disorders. Medications that slow blood clotting (Anticoagulant / Antiplatelet drugs)
interacts with Cumin. Cumin might slow blood clotting. Taking cumin along with medications that
also slow blood clotting might increase the risk of bruising and bleeding which might make
bleeding disorders worse.

Heavy menstrual cycles: cumin may increase menstrual bleeding and therefore is not
recommended in women with heavy menstrual cycles.

Diabetes Mellitus: Cumin may interact with antidiabetic medication, causing hypoglycemia. If you
are diabetic, check your blood sugar when you take cumin.

Sun exposure: Sun should be avoided during treatment duration with cumin supplements.

CUMIN FOR WOMEN HEALTH

Cumin increases breast size: Scientific studies have shown that supplementation with cumin
increases the number of mammary cells, resulting in a greater volume of the busts.

Galactagogue: Cumin increases the secretion of milk in lactating women. This property is
also observed in animals when the plant is used to feed them. (For breastfeeding, cumin
should be taken as an infusion or as powder)

ATTENTION!!: The National Poison Control center says clearly that essential oils can be toxic.
Essential oil is not recommended for internal use without professional supervision, as, used in this
way, it is highly concentrated and it is difficult to regulate its medicinal doses. Children under 6,
pregnant or lactating women should NOT take it.

For pregnancy: When served in culinary quantities, cumin is safe and beneficial during pregnancy,
but you should consume it in moderation. Eating cumin in normal food amounts is usually safe when
pregnant. Too much cumin can potentially lead to side effects like bleeding and flatulence. In some
cultures, it is used as an abortifacient agent (however, there is no evidence it works)

A study done on mice has shown that some herbs, including cumin, produced contractions in
uterine tissue. However, the contractions were not as strong as the contractions produced by
oxytocin, and they were not maintained.

While these studies have not been done on pregnant women, there is concern that cumin
may cause cramping, premature labor, or even miscarriage. Cumin seeds also have abortifacient
properties, which means they may cause abortion.

However, one journal suggests avoiding cumin while pregnant because it may cause bleeding
and flatulence (Eid & Jaradat, 2020). Right now, there is no set dosage of cumin to consume during
pregnancy. However, the average person can safely consume up to 3g of cumin daily (Al-Snafi, 2016).
Pregnant women should be cautious and consume less than this amount, which is around the normal
amount used in food.

Pregnant women should avoid using cumin oil because it is very concentrated. Cumin oil is
made by pressing cumin seeds to extract their oil. There are no studies yet on regular cumin oil and
pregnancy; however, according to an animal study, black cumin oil may cause symptoms such as
hypertension and proteinuria (Rahma et al., 2017). Like other cumin products, too much black cumin
oil can lead to side effects.
 GEC108 - A2

DOSES

Medicine: cumin essential oil has most often been used by adults in doses of 25-75 mg by
mouth daily for up to 6 months. Cumin powder has most often been used in doses of 1.5-3
grams by mouth daily for up to 6 months. (Carballido, 2022)

● One teaspoon (2 g) of cumin has about 1.08 mg of iron (source: USDA)

○ The amount of iron a day recommended for women is 15mg, and 10mg for
men (Carballido, 2022).
○ recommended daily iron intake during pregnancy is 30 milligrams (mg) per
day (source: University of California San Francisco)
● One teaspoon (2.1g) of cumin seeds has about 0.22 g fiber (source: USDA).
○ Pregnant women’s recommended daily fiber intake is 28 grams (g) per day
(Pretorius & Palmer, 2020).
 GEC108 - A2

REFERENCES:

Al-Snafi, A. E. (2016). The pharmacological activities of Cuminum cyminum-A review. IOSR Journal of
Pharmacy, 6(6), 46-65.

Brennan, D. (Ed.). (2021, March 5). Cumin tea during pregnancy: For Labor, other benefits, more.
WebMD. Retrieved March 4, 2023, from
https://www.webmd.com/baby/does-cumin-tea-induce-labor#:~:text=Cumin%20seeds%20also%20hav
e%20abortifacient,means%20they%20may%20cause%20abortion.

Carballido, E., & Editorial. (2022, June 8). Properties of cumin. Botanical online. Retrieved March
4, 2023, from https://www.botanical-online.com/en/medicinal-plants/cumin-properties

Chauhan, P.S., Satt,i N.K., Suri, K.A., Amina, M., Bani, S. (2010). Stimulatory effects of Cuminum
cyminum and flavonoid glycoside on cyclosporine-A and restraint stress induced immune-suppression
in swiss albino mice. Chem Biol Interac; 185: 66-72

Derakhshan, S., Sattari, M., Bigdeli, M.(2010) Effect of cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) seed essential
oil on biofilm formation and plasmid integrity by Klebsiella pneumoniae. Pharmacog Mag; 6: 57-61.

Eid, A. M., & Jaradat, N. (2020). Public Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice on Herbal Remedies Used
During Pregnancy and Lactation in West Bank Palestine. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 11.
doi:10.3389/fphar.2020.00046

Enrich, M. (2022, March 24). Cumin toxicity. Botanical online. Retrieved March 4, 2023, from
https://www.botanical-online.com/en/medicinal-plants/cumin-toxicity

Lee, H.S.(2005) Cuminaldehyde: Aldose Reductase and alpha glucosidase inhibitor derived from
Cuminum cyminum L. seeds. J Agric Food Chem; 53: 2446-53.

Morshedi, D., Aliakbari, F., Tayaranian, M., Fassihi, P.(2015) Cuminaldehyde as the major component
of cuminum cyminum, a natural aldehyde with inhibitory effect on alpha synuclein fibrillation and
cytotoxicity. Journal of Food Science. 80(10): H2336-H2345.

Nalini, N., Sabitha, K., Vishwanathan, P., Menon, V.P.(1998) Influence of spices on the bacterial
(enzyme) activity in experimental colon cancer. J Ethnopharmacol; 62: 15-24.

Pretorius, R. A., & Palmer, D. J. (2020). High-fiber diet during pregnancy characterized by more fruit
and vegetable consumption. Nutrients, 13(1), 35. 10.3390/nu13010035

Rahma, H., Indrawan, I. W. A., Nooryanto, M., & Keman, K. (2017). Effect of a black cumin (Nigella
sativa) ethanol extract on placental angiotensin II type 1-receptor autoantibody (AT1-AA) serum levels
and endothelin-1 (ET-1) expression in a preeclampsia mouse model. Journal of Taibah University
medical sciences, 12(6), 528. 10.1016/j.jtumed.2017.06.002

Sayyah, M., Mahboubi, A., Kamalinejad, M. (2002). Anti-convulsant effect of the fruit essential oil of
Cuminum cyminum in mice. Pharmaceut Biol; 40: 478-80.

Singh, R. P., Gangadharappa, H. V., & Mruthunjaya, K. (2017). Cuminum cyminum–A popular spice:
An updated review. Pharmacognosy journal, 9(3).

Waggott, G. (2022, September 24). Is cumin safe during pregnancy? seeds, tea, and more.
Pregnancy Food Checker. Retrieved March 4, 2023, from
https://www.pregnancyfoodchecker.com/cumin-safe-pregnancy-seeds-tea/

McCormick Science Institute. (n.d.). Cumin.

https://www.mccormickscienceinstitute.com/resources/culinary-spices/herbs-spices/cumin