Description

Nigella sativa, the black seed or black cumin, is a delicate annual flowering herb of the family Ranunculaceae, native to the eastern Mediterranean, western Asia, and the Middle East, now cultivated throughout South Asia, Egypt, and Ethiopia. The small, angular, aromatic black seeds hold a revered place in Islamic tradition, where they are described as a blessed seed of great benefit. Referenced by Dioscorides, Ibn Sina, and in the Unani Qarabadeen compilations, the seeds contain thymoquinone, a bioactive monoterpene ketone that has attracted hundreds of published phytochemical and pharmacological studies in the 21st century. In Ayurvedic and folk medicine traditions of India, kalonji is incorporated into preparations for digestive, respiratory, and immunity-related formulations.