Indian Medicinal Plants

Nigella sativa Linn. 439
The plant contains nicotine as the
major alkaloid.
Toxic influence of cigarette and bidi
smoking on carboxyhaemoglobin levels
of the blood of regular smokers was
compared and no significant difference
was observed in both of them. A pyrolysed
tobacco product, used in India
as a dentifrice, when administered
to rats, showed activity comparable to
benzo(a)pyrene, a potent carcinogen.
Habitual consumption of betel quid
containing tobacco shows a strong cytotoxic
potential.
Nicotiana rustica Linn. is known as
Kalakatiyaa or Vfilaayati tobacco. Its
nicotine content is high and is not suitable
for cigarettes, cigars or bidis. Different
variants of this tobacco are used
for hookah, chewing and snuff.
Nigella damascena Linn.
Family ◮ Ranunculaceae.
Habitat ◮ Native to Southern Europe;
cultivated in Indian gardens.
English ◮ Love-in-a-mist.
Ayurvedic ◮ Upakunchikaa (var.).
Siddha ◮ Karumcheerakam.
Action ◮ Seeds—carminative,
emmenagogue, anthelmintic.
A tincture prepared from the
ripe seeds is used against catarrhal
inflammations of liver and intestines
in homoeopathy.
Nigella sativa Linn.
Family ◮
Ranunculaceae.
Habitat ◮ Cultivated in Punjab,
Bengal, Assam and Bihar.
English ◮ Black Cumin, Small Fennel.
Ayurvedic ◮ Kaalaajaaji, Kalikaa,
Prthvikaa, Sthulajiraka, Sushavi,
Upkunchikaa (the plant bears seeds
of bigger size).
Unani ◮ Kalonji, Kamaazaruus.
Siddha/Tamil ◮ Karum seeragm.
Action ◮ Seeds—stimulant, carminative,
diuretic, lactiferous, emmenagogue
(stimulate uterine
contractions). Used in puerperal
fever. Powdered seeds externally
applied to boils. Essential oil—
used in common cold, cough and
bronchospasm.
The essential oil from seeds contains
nigellone and 2-methyl-4-isopropyl-pquinone.
The oil contains carvone (45–
60%), d-limonene and cymene. Seeds
contain fatty acids including palmitic,
myristic, stearic, oleic, linoleic and
linolenic. Beta-sitosterol is also present
in the seeds.
Low concentration of nigellone has
been shown to inhibit the release of
histamine from mast cells in animals.
(Natural Medicines Comprehensive
Database, 2007.)
The ethanolic extract of the seeds
and the volatile oil from seeds showed
antispasmodic activity in experimental
animals, possibly due to a calcium
antagonistic effect.
The oil exhibited CNS depressant
and potent analgesic effects on experimental
animals, possibly due to the
presence of an opioid principle in the
oil.
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