What is cumin

Cumin (Cuminum cyminum) is an annual, aromatic, herbaceous flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native from the east Mediterranean to South Asia. Cumin seeds (each one contained within a fruit, which is dried) are used in the cuisines of many different cultures, in both whole and ground form. It also has many uses as a traditional medicinal plant.

Cumin is an important medicinal and spice crop cultivated in the arid and semi-arid regions of the world, where saline soil is widely distributed, unsuitable for agriculture ¹. The cumin plant is good source of minerals like iron, copper, zinc and manganese and B-complex vitamins such as thiamine, niacin, riboflavin and antioxidant vitamins like A, E and C ². Cumin and value added products of cumin seeds have gained importance in functional food with wide range of health benefits, dietary supplements, cosmetics and other nutraceutical applications.

Previous studies have also reveal that cumin seeds are excellent source of secondary metabolites, such as polyphenols with free radical scavenging properties and have wide applications in food industries ³. Major secondary metabolites isolated from cumin seed are 1-O-β-D-glucopyranoside ⁴, β-D-glucopyranoside ⁵ and cuminoside A and B ⁴.

Figure 1. Cumin seeds (Cuminum cyminum)

Black cumin

Black cumin (Bunium bulbocastanum)  is related to cumin and has a smoky, earthy taste. But black cumin is often confused with Nigella sativa (which is also blackseed and black caraway). Dried black cumin fruits are used as a culinary spice in northern India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Iran. It is practically unknown outside these areas. The tuber-like root is locally collected for food; the “pignut” or chestnut” names refer to it.

The small, rounded taproot is edible raw or cooked, and said to taste like sweet chestnuts. The leaf can be used as an herb or garnish similar to parsley.

The black cumin seeds are most valued as a garnish to high value, very special Indian dishes; they should not be ground as their flavor would be reduced.

Figure 2. Black cumin (Bunium bulbocastanum)

What is cumin used for

Cumin is globally popular and essential for flavoring in many cuisines, particularly South Asian, Northern African and Latin American cuisines ⁶. Cumin seeds are used as a spice for their distinctive flavor and aroma. Cumin can be found in some cheeses, such as Leyden cheese, and in some traditional breads from France. Cumin can be an ingredient in chili powder (often Tex-Mex or Mexican-style), and is found in achiote blends, adobos, sofrito, garam masala, curry powder, and bahaarat. In South Asian cooking, it is often combined with coriander seeds in a powdered mixture called dhana jeera.

Cumin can be used ground or as whole seeds. It helps to add an earthy and warming feeling to food, making it a staple in certain stews and soups, as well as spiced gravies such as curry and chili. It is also used as an ingredient in some pickles and pastries.

Cumin Nutrition Facts

In a 100 gram amount, cumin seeds are nutritionally rich, providing high amounts of the Daily Value for fat (especially monounsaturated fat), protein and dietary fiber. Values for B vitamins, vitamin E, and several dietary minerals, especially iron, are also considerable when expressed in this 100 gram amount.

Cumin contains key nutrients such as iron and copper, which are needed for healthy red blood cells. Just one teaspoon of cumin seeds contains around 3mg of your daily iron intake (that’s 20% of daily iron intake for women and 34% for men).

Potassium, needed for controlling blood pressure and heart rate, can also be found in cumin along with zinc, which plays an important role in immune function.

Cumin also contains calcium, important for helping to build strong bones and teeth and regulating muscle contractions, as well as magnesium which aids the process of turning food into energy and is a natural relaxant.

Table 1. Cumin seeds

Nutrient	Unit	Value per 100 g
Approximates
Water	g	8.06
Energy	kcal	375
Energy	kJ	1567
Protein	g	17.81
Total lipid (fat)	g	22.27
Ash	g	7.62
Carbohydrate, by difference	g	44.24
Fiber, total dietary	g	10.5
Sugars, total	g	2.25
Minerals
Calcium, Ca	mg	931
Iron, Fe	mg	66.36
Magnesium, Mg	mg	366
Phosphorus, P	mg	499
Potassium, K	mg	1788
Sodium, Na	mg	168
Zinc, Zn	mg	4.8
Copper, Cu	mg	0.867
Manganese, Mn	mg	3.333
Selenium, Se	µg	5.2
Vitamins
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid	mg	7.7
Thiamin	mg	0.628
Riboflavin	mg	0.327
Niacin	mg	4.579
Vitamin B-6	mg	0.435
Folate, total	µg	10
Folic acid	µg	0
Folate, food	µg	10
Folate, DFE	µg	10
Choline, total	mg	24.7
Vitamin B-12	µg	0
Vitamin B-12, added	µg	0
Vitamin A, RAE	µg	64
Retinol	µg	0
Carotene, beta	µg	762
Carotene, alpha	µg	0
Cryptoxanthin, beta	µg	0
Vitamin A, IU	IU	1270
Lycopene	µg	0
Lutein + zeaxanthin	µg	448
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)	mg	3.33
Vitamin E, added	mg	0
Vitamin D (D2 + D3)	µg	0
Vitamin D	IU	0
Vitamin K (phylloquinone)	µg	5.4
Lipids
Fatty acids, total saturated	g	1.535
04:00:00	g	0
06:00:00	g	0
08:00:00	g	0
10:00:00	g	0.018
12:00:00	g	0.018
14:00:00	g	0.018
16:00:00	g	1.137
18:00:00	g	0.344
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated	g	14.04
16:1 undifferentiated	g	0.212
18:1 undifferentiated	g	13.618
20:01:00	g	0.212
22:1 undifferentiated	g	0
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated	g	3.279
18:2 undifferentiated	g	3.103
18:3 undifferentiated	g	0.176
18:04:00	g	0
20:4 undifferentiated	g	0
20:5 n-3 (EPA)	g	0
22:5 n-3 (DPA)	g	0
22:6 n-3 (DHA)	g	0
Cholesterol	mg	0
Phytosterols	mg	68
Other
Alcohol, ethyl	g	0
Caffeine	mg	0
Theobromine	mg	0

[Source ⁷]

 

Cumin health benefits

The plant is an active reservoir of numerous bioactive compounds with various therapeutic applications ⁸. A total of 45 differentially expressed metabolites were identified in cumin plants (see Table 2. below). Essential oil extracted by hydrodistillation from Tunisian cumin contain 21 active components and some of the major components are cuminlaldehyde (39.48%), gamma-terpinene (15.21%), O-cymene (11.82%), beta-pinene (11.13%), 2-caren-10-al (7.93%), trans-carveol (4.49%) and myrtenal (3.5%) ⁹. Moreover, cumin oil exhibited higher antibacterial and antifungal activities with a high effectiveness against Vibrio spp. strains. On the other hand, the cumin oil was investigated for its antioxidant activities and the results showed that cumin oil exhibit a higher activity in each antioxidant system with a special attention for beta-carotene bleaching test and reducing power ⁸. In the light of these findings, some scientists suggested that cumin essential oil may be considered as an interesting source of antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidants components used as potent agents in food preservation and for therapeutic or nutraceutical industries.

Cumin is also used in the treatment of fever, loss of appetite, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal distension, edema and puerperal disorders ¹⁰, ¹¹. In traditional medicine of Tunisia, cumin is considered abortive, galactagogue (promotes or increases the flow of a mother’s milk), antiseptic, antihypertensive herb , while in Italy, it is used as bitter tonic, carminative (relieves flatulence) and purgative (laxative) ¹². In indigenous Arabic medicines, cumin seeds are documented as stimulant, carminative, and attributed with cooling affect and therefore form an ingredient of most prescriptions for gonorrhea, chronic diarrhea and dyspepsia; externally, they are applied in the form of poultice to allay pain and irritation of worms in the abdomen ¹⁰. In Iranian traditional medicine, cumin is considered stimulant, carminative and astringent and its therapeutic effects have been described on gastrointestinal, gynecological and respiratory disorders, and also for the treatment of toothache, diarrhea and epilepsy ¹³. Cumin seeds reduced to powder, mixed with honey, salt and butter are applied to scorpion bites ¹⁴.

Cumin shoots own metabolites having various pharmacological activities, such as antimicrobial, anti-diabetic, antiepileptic anti-infertility, anticancer, antioxidant and immunomodulatory ¹¹, ¹⁵. Cumin oil was found to attenuate seizures induced by maximal electroshock and pentylenetetrazol in mice ¹⁶. A methanolic extract of cumin seeds reduced the blood glucose and inhibited glycosylated hemoglobin, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen and improved serum insulin and glycogen (liver and skeletal muscle) content in alloxan and streptozotocin (STZ) diabetic rats ¹⁷. Eight-week sub-acute administration of cumin to STZ-diabetic rats reduced hyperglycemia and glucosuria accompanied by an improvement in body weight, blood urea and reduced excretion of urea and creatinine ¹⁸. Oral administration of cumin also showed hypoglycemic effect in normal rabbit, resulting in significant decrease in the area under the glucose tolerance curve ¹⁹. Metabolites with bioactivity such as anticancerous (docetaxel) and antimicrobial (megalomicin) were also identified along with intermediate metabolites involved in different pathways. Gagandeep et al. ²⁰ demonstrated that cumin has an anticancer effect and inhibits the induction of gastric squamous cell carcinomas in mice.

Numerous investigations have revealed a potential antimicrobial activity of cumin products (oils as well as their aqueous and solvent derived extracts). This antibacterial action was assessed against a range of useful and pathogenic gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial strains ²¹, ²². 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. This property was attributed to cuminaldehyde ²³. Biofilm-formation preventive properties were found against Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus pyogenes ²⁴.

Cumin seeds are reported to be estrogenic ²⁵. The presence of phytoestrogens in cumin has been shown and also related to its anti-osteoporotic effects. In the animals receiving a methanolic extract of cumin, a significant reduction in urinary calcium excretion and augmentation of calcium content and mechanical strength of bones was found. Animals showed greater bone and ash densities and improved microarchitecture, with no adverse effects like body weight gain and weight of atrophic uterus ²⁶.

Oral administration of cumin to alloxan diabetic rats reduced body weight, plasma and tissue cholesterol, phospholipids, free fatty acids and triglycerides. Histological observations demonstrated significant decrease in fatty changes and inflammatory cell infiltrates in diabetic rat pancreas ²⁷. Cumin suppressed alcohol and thermally oxidized oil induced hyperlipidemia. It decreased aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT) activities and decreased the tissue (liver and kidney) levels of cholesterol, triglycerides and phospholipids and prevented the changes in the composition of fatty acids in the plasma of rats administered with alcohol and/or thermally oxidized oil. The activity of phospholipase A and C decreased significantly ²⁸. Hypocholesterolemic effect of methanolic extract of cumin is also documented in ovariectomized rat in relation to its anti-osteoporotic effect ²⁹. Cumin added to a hypercholesterolemic diet decreased serum and liver cholesterol in rats ³⁰.

In a recent study, oral treatment with cumin showed immunomodulatory properties in normal and immune-suppressed animals via modulation of T lymphocytes′ expression in a dose-dependent manner. It stimulated the T cells′ (CD4 and CD8) and Th1 cytokines′ expression in normal and cyclosporine-A induced immune-suppressed mice. In restraint stress-induced immune-suppressed animals, the active compound of cumin countered the depleted T lymphocytes, decreased the elevated corticosterone levels and size of adrenal glands and increased the weight of thymus and spleen ³¹.

Table 2. Probable metabolites and their possible application/ role identified in cumin 

[Source ⁶]

Thus cumin seeds are of considerable importance because of its nutritional values and other health benefits. Dried cumin seeds contain volatile oil (5%), fat (22%), protein (10%), fibre (11%) and free amino acids ¹⁵. A diverse array of compounds have been revealed in essential oils, oleoresins and seeds of cumin; 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 characteristic aroma of volatile oil, obtained from dried cumin seeds are attributed to the presence of 3p-menthen-7al, β–pinene, p-cymene, γ-terpinene, p-mentha-1, 3-dien-7-al, p-mentha-1 and cuminaldehyde in combination with other related aldehydes ³². Cuminaldehyde, cymene and terpenoids are the major volatile components of cumin. Cuminaldehyde has also antimicrobial and antifungal properties, which could be shown with Escherichia coli and Penicillium chrysogenum ¹⁰. The anti-carcinogenic activity has also been studied and cumin seeds are found potent inhibitor of both squamous cell carcomas and hepatomas ³³. In herbal medicine, cumin oil is known to possess several pharmacological activities, such as antimicrobial, anti-diabetic, antiepileptic, anti-infertility, anticancerous and immunomodulative effects due to presence of active chemical constituents. Aqueous or solvent extract of cumin is known to inhibit growth of many pathogenic micro-organisms ³⁴, ³⁵.

1. Hassanzadehdelouei M, Vazin F, Nadaf J. Effect of salt stress in different stages of growth on qualitative and quantitative characteristics of cumin (Cuminum Cyminum L.). Cercetări Agronomice în Moldova. 2013;46: 89–97.[↩]
2. Water-deficit impact on fatty acid and essential oil composition and antioxidant activities of cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) aerial parts. Bettaieb I, Knioua S, Hamrouni I, Limam F, Marzouk B. J Agric Food Chem. 2011 Jan 12; 59(1):328-34. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21141890/[↩]
3. Rebey IB, Karoui IJ, Sellami IH, Bourgou S, Limam F, Marzouk B, et al. Effect of drought on the biochemical composition and antioxidant activities of cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) seeds. Ind Crops Prod. 2012;36: 238–245.[↩]
4. Glycosides of 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol from the fruits of anise, coriander and cumin. Kitajima J, Ishikawa T, Fujimatu E, Kondho K, Takayanagi T. Phytochemistry. 2003 Jan; 62(1):115-20.[↩][↩]
5. Sesquiterpene lactone glucosides and alkyl glycosides from the fruit of cumin. Takayanagi T, Ishikawa T, Kitajima J. Phytochemistry. 2003 Jun; 63(4):479-84.[↩]
6. Pandey S, Patel MK, Mishra A, Jha B. Physio-Biochemical Composition and Untargeted Metabolomics of Cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) Make It Promising Functional Food and Help in Mitigating Salinity Stress. Shi H, ed. PLoS ONE. 2015;10(12):e0144469. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0144469. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4671573/[↩][↩]
7. United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Release 28. https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list[↩]
8. Chemical composition and biological activities of Tunisian Cuminum cyminum L. essential oil: a high effectiveness against Vibrio spp. strains. Hajlaoui H, Mighri H, Noumi E, Snoussi M, Trabelsi N, Ksouri R, Bakhrouf A. Food Chem Toxicol. 2010 Aug-Sep; 48(8-9):2186-92. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20488223/[↩][↩]
9. Chemical composition and biological activities of Tunisian Cuminum cyminum L. essential oil: a high effectiveness against Vibrio spp. strains. Food Chem Toxicol. 2010 Aug-Sep;48(8-9):2186-92. doi: 10.1016/j.fct.2010.05.044. Epub 2010 May 17. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20488223/[↩]
10. Johri RK. Cuminum cyminum and Carum carvi: An update. Pharmacognosy Reviews. 2011;5(9):63-72. doi:10.4103/0973-7847.79101. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3210012/[↩][↩][↩]
11. Mnif S, Aifa S. Cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) from traditional uses to potential biomedical applications. Chem Biodivers. 2015;12: 733–742. doi: 10.1002/cbdv.201400305 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26010662[↩][↩]
12. Comparative analysis of medicinal plants used in traditional medicine in Italy and Tunisia. Leporatti ML, Ghedira K. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2009 Oct 26; 5():31. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2773757/[↩]
13. Zargary A. 5th ed. Tehran: Tehran University Publications; 2001. Medicinal Plants.[↩]
14. Al–Yahya M, Collpharm A. Phytochemical studies of plant used in traditional medicine in Saudi Arabia. Fitoterapia. 1986;57:179–82.[↩]
15. Sowbhagya HB. Chemistry, technology, and nutraceutical functions of cumin (Cuminum cyminum L): An overview. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2013;53: 1–10. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2010.500223 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23035918[↩][↩]
16. Sayyah M, Mahboubi A, Kamalinejad M. Anti-convulsant effect of the fruit essential oil of Cuminum cyminum in mice. Pharmaceut Biol. 2002a;40:478–80.[↩]
17. Antihyperglycemic activity and inhibition of advanced glycation end product formation by Cuminum cyminum in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. Jagtap AG, Patil PB. Food Chem Toxicol. 2010 Aug-Sep; 48(8-9):2030-6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20451573/[↩]
18. Willatgamuva SA, Platel K, Sarawathi G, Srinivasan K. Antidiabetic influence of dietary cumin seeds (Cuminum cyminum) in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. Nutr Res. 1998;18:131–42.[↩]
19. Anti-hyperglycemic effect of some edible plants. Roman-Ramos R, Flores-Saenz JL, Alarcon-Aguilar FJ. J Ethnopharmacol. 1995 Aug 11; 48(1):25-32. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8569244/[↩]
20. Gagandeep, Dhanalakshmi S, Mendiz E, Rao AR, Kale RK. Chemopreventive effects of Cuminum cyminum in chemically induced for stomach and uterin complex cervix tumours in murine model systems. Nutr Cancer. 2003;47: 171–180. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15087270[↩]
21. Vicuda-Martos M, Ruiz-Navajas Y, Fernandez-Lopez J, Perez-Alvarez JA. Antibacterial activity of different essential oils obtained from spices widely used in Mediterranean diet. Int J Food Sci Technol. 2008;43:526–31.[↩]
22. Chemistry, antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungal activities of volatile oils and their components. De Martino L, De Feo V, Fratianni F, Nazzaro F. Nat Prod Commun. 2009 Dec; 4(12):1741-50. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20120118/[↩]
23. Effect of subinhibitory concentrations of cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) seed essential oil and alcoholic extract on the morphology, capsule expression and urease activity of Klebsiella pneumoniae. Derakhshan S, Sattari M, Bigdeli M. Int J Antimicrob Agents. 2008 Nov; 32(5):432-6.[↩]
24. Phytotherapeutic inhibition of supragingival dental plaque. Shayegh S, Rasooli I, Taghizadeh M, Astaneh SD. Nat Prod Res. 2008 Mar 20; 22(5):428-39. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18404563/[↩]
25. Estrogenic activity of Cuminum cyminum in rats. Malini T, Vanithakumari G. Indian J Exp Biol. 1987 Jul; 25(7):442-4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2963791/[↩]
26. Methanolic extract of Cuminum cyminum inhibits ovariectomy-induced bone loss in rats. Shirke SS, Jadhav SR, Jagtap AG. Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2008 Nov; 233(11):1403-10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18824723/[↩]
27. Hypolipidemic effect of Cuminum cyminum L. on alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Dhandapani S, Subramanian VR, Rajagopal S, Namasivayam N. Pharmacol Res. 2002 Sep; 46(3):251-5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12220968/[↩]
28. Effect of ethanol and thermally oxidized sunflower oil ingestion on phospholipid fatty acid composition of rat liver: protective role of Cuminum cyminum L. Kode A, Rajagopalan R, Penumathsa SV, Menon VP. Ann Nutr Metab. 2005 Sep-Oct; 49(5):300-3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16088094/[↩]
29. Effects of methanolic extract of Cuminum cyminum on total serum cholesterol in ovariectomized rats. Shirke SS, Jagtap AG. Indian J Pharmacol. 2009 Apr; 41(2):92-3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2841243/[↩]
30. Effect of cumin, cinnamon, ginger, mustard and tamarind in induced hypercholesterolemic rats. Sambaiah K, Srinivasan K. Nahrung. 1991; 35(1):47-51. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1865890/[↩]
31. Stimulatory effects of Cuminum cyminum and flavonoid glycoside on Cyclosporine-A and restraint stress induced immune-suppression in Swiss albino mice. Chauhan PS, Satti NK, Suri KA, Amina M, Bani S. Chem Biol Interact. 2010 Apr 15; 185(1):66-72.[↩]
32. Anon A. Analytical methods of committee. Application of gas-liquid chromatography to analysis of essential oils Part XVI. Monography for five essential oils. Analyst. 1993;118: 1089–1098.[↩]
33. Anticarcinogenic effects of some Indian plant products. Food Chem Toxicol. 1992 Nov;30(11):953-6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1473788[↩]
34. Iacobellis NS, LoCantore P, Capasso F, Senatore F. Antibacterial activity of Cuminum cyminum L. and Carum carvi L. essential oils. J Agr Food Chem. 2005;53: 57–61. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15631509[↩]
35. Gachkar L, Yadegari D, Rezaei MB, Taghizadeh M, Astaneh SA, Rasooli I, et al. Chemical and biological characteristics of Cuminum cyminum and Rosmarinus officinalis essential oils. Food Chem. 2007;102: 898–904.[↩]