EU_Declaration_91047.pdf
Botanical Name: Nigella sativa Common name: Black caraway, fe Read More
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Botanical Name: |
Nigella sativa |
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Common name: |
Black caraway, fennel seed, black cumin |
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Plant family: |
Apiaceae (umbelliferae) |
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Genus: |
Nigella |
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Appearance/Color: |
Pale yellow to brown |
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Origin |
Israel |
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Source |
Seeds |
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Method of Extraction |
Cold Pressed |
Black cumin seed oil has been used for health and wellness for thousands of years. In it, you’ll find vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and even compounds that improves cell growth. It’s been called a veritable fountain of youth.
Black cumin seeds come from a plant called Nigella sativa. The plant is sometimes called black caraway or fennel flower too, and it’s a totally different plant from the cumin that you normally cook with. That kind of cumin comes from Cuminum cyminum and is related to parsley.
Archaeological evidence about the earliest cultivation of N. sativa “is still scanty”, but N. sativa seeds were found in several sites from ancient Egypt, including Tutankhamun’s tomb. Seeds were found in a Hittite flask in Turkey from the second millennium BCE.
Nigella sativa black-caraway, also known as nigella (or kalonji), often called black cumin, is an annual flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, native to south and southwest Asia.
Nigella sativa grows to 20-30 cm (7.9-11.8 in) tall, with finely divided, linear (but not thread-like) leaves. The flower is delicate, and usually colored pale blue and white, with five to ten petals. The black caraway fruit is a large and inflated capsule composed of three to seven united follicles, each containing numerous seeds which are used as spice, sometimes as a replacement for black cumin.
In Ayurveda, Black Cumin Seed Oil has been used in a wide range of applications, mainly for its stimulating, warming, and tonic properties as well as for its uplifting effect on the mood. Traditionally, it was used to address health conditions such as anorexia, sexually-transmitted diseases, and gynaecological ailments. It was also believed to be beneficial for stimulating the appetite and metabolism, easing neurological disorders, positively enhancing negative temperaments, and promoting harmony within the body and mind.
Essential oils are distilled from the aromatic leaves, bark, and roots of plants. If applied to the skin directly, they can cause reactions, such as severe irritation, redness or burning.
Carrier oils and essential oils are made from plants. Carrier oils are used to dilute essential oils and “carry” them to skin. That’s because essential oils are potent and can cause irritation when applied directly to skin. Most carrier oils are unscented or lightly scented and don’t interfere with an essential oil’s therapeutic properties. They may be used alone or with other oils to nourish skin.
Carrier oils are used to dilute the essential oils and help “carry” them into the skin. Aloe vera gels and unscented body lotion are also sometimes used as carriers.
To be used in aromatherapy, it is recommended that the oil is obtained through cold pressing. In this process, the oil is extracted by crushing the plants. Users claim that the fragile nutrients in the oil can be damaged if they are extracted with heat. Venkatramna’s carrier Oils are extracted from the Cold Pressed method to retain their properties.
It is Used cosmetically or topically in general, Black Cumin Seed Oil is reputed to effectively address fungal infections, yeast, and mould with its anti-fungal properties. Its antioxidant activity is known to promote the skin’s elimination of harmful free radicals, thus diminishing the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, dark spots, and other blemishes, thereby exhibiting a rejuvenating and revitalizing effect. When applied to hair, Black Cumin Seed Oil is known to exhibit the supportive effects, thus promoting the growth of stronger and smoother strands.
Black Cumin Seed Oil can also be diffused in a vaporizer and, when diffused, it is reputed to enhance and support the health of the respiratory system. It is believed to have the potency to alleviate symptoms of asthma and bronchitis. Due to its carminative property, which enhances digestion and reduces discomforts such as stomach pain, bloating, and gas, it is believed to ease gastrointestinal disorders.
Common Usage: Aromatherapy
TOXICOLOGICAL INFORMATION
Safety summary
· Hazards: drug interaction; fetotoxic, based on thymoquinone content; skin sensitization.
· Contraindications: (all routes) pregnancy, breastfeeding
· Cautions (oral): diabetes medication.
· Caution (dermal): hypersensitive, diseased or damaged skin, children under 2 years of age.
Organ-specific effects
· Adverse skin reactions: of 240 consecutive dermatitis patients in Saudi Arabia, two presents with dermatitis caused by the topical application of black seed oil. One had pigmented dermatitis on the face, while the other had generalized reactions. Repeated applications of an ointment containing black seed oil caused ACD in 31-year-old women with pre-existing eczema. Another case of ACD was reported in a 28-year-old man; patch testing confirmed black seed oil as the causative agent. Two similar severe cases of systemic adverse reaction to black seed oil were diagnosed as generalized erythema multiforme and bullous eruption. In the first case, capsules containing 500mg of black seeds oil were taken, and patch testing was positive for the same oil. The second case involved both oral ingestion and dermal application. It was later established that in the Nosbaum et at case, black seed fixed oil was used, not the essential oil, and the same may well be true of some of the other reports. However, the fixed oil naturally contains up to 0.5% essential oil, and therefore essential oil constituents such.
· Immunotoxicity: when rats were injected in with 2.5 mL of black seed oil twice weekly for 4 weeks, there was a decrease in splenocytes and neutrophils, but an increase in peripheral lymphocytes and monocytes.
· Hepatotoxicity: injected black seed essential oil afforded protection against induced hepatotoxicity in rats.
Systemic effects
· Acute toxicity: no information found. The acute oral LD50 of thymoquinone in mice was 2.4 g/kg. cymene acute oral LD50 in rats 4.75 g/kg.
· Subacute and Sub chronic toxicity: When black seed oil was fed to rats at 0.3% of the diet for 8 weeks, there were no significant deviations in organ to body weight ratios compared to controls for heart, liver, pancreas, lungs, spleen, left kidney and right kidney. Indices of red and white blood cells remained within normal limits, as did cardiac enzymes, liver function tests, urea, creatinine, albumin, globulins, A/G ratio and total proteins. As part of an experimental protocol to assess chemo preventive activity, male rats were dosed with 200 mg/kg/day of black seed oil for 14 weeks. Gross and microscopic examination of the liver, kidneys, spleen, lungs, stomach, intestine, testes and accessory organs, and thyroid gland, revealed no histopathological changes.
ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION
· Ecotoxicity: No data available
· Bioaccumulation: No data available
· Mobility in soil: No data available
· Persistence and degradability: No data available
· PBT and vPvB assessment: No data available
