Scientific Name: Trachyspermum roxburghianum   (DC.) Craib (Apiaceae), Carum roxburghianum   (DC.) Craib
Sanskrit Name: Ajmoda
Nepali Name: Ajmoda

Sanskrit Synonyms: BASTAMODA, DIPYAKA, LOCAKARKATA, KHARAHVA, KARAVI, VALLI, MODA, AJAMODA, ATYUGRAGANDHA, MODA, BASTAMODA, MARKATAH, KHARASVA, MAYURA, DIPYAKA, BRAHMAKUSA, LOCAMASTAKA, BASTAMODA, MARKATI, MODA, GANDHADALA, HASTIKARAVI, GANDHAPATRIKA, MAYURI, SIKHIMODA, MODADHYA, VAHNIDIPIKA, BRAHMAKOSI, VISALI, HRDYAGANDHA, UGRAGANDHIKA, MODHINI, PHALAMUKHYA

Description :
A herb. The root looks like radish. The branches are smooth. The leaves are branched and looks like feather, papery, shiny. The flowers are small, greenish white and arranged in clusters. The fruit is an aromatic indehiscent cremocarps ( a dry fruit, composed of two one seeded carpels, that at maturity separates into mericarps). Cremocarp is small, 5 ribbed and yellowish green when ripe.

Parts Used: Seeds

Chemcial Constituents:
Seeds - Essential oil 1.8 - 2 %, ( d -limonene, a-terpene, dipentene, d-linallol, terpineol, dl-piperitone, thymoquinol, thymol and a ketonic acid, 0.09 % ) C.A. 1943, 1009 ( 3, ) Ind.J.Pharm . 1953, 15, 298, (4 ) . Fruits - Bergapten and Carvacrol.

Medicinal Properties:
Anti-diarrhoeal
Fruit -50 % alcoholic extract in broth culture at 125 mcg / ml . is active Vs E.histolytica ( 2 ) . Seeds exhibited activity against E.histolytica .Ind . J . Exptl . Biol . 1968, 6, 232 ( 5 )

Anti-tumor
Fresh leaf - Methanol extract at 200 mg / ml . showed strong activity Vs CVells Raji . EBVactivation induced by HPA ( 40 ng / ml . ) ( 2 )

Anti-oxidant
oil produced marked diuretic effect in rabbits . Ind.J . Med . Res . 1954, ( 5 )

CNS
Fruit - 50 % alcoholic extract given I / P in mice at 500 mg / kg . showed neuroleptic activity ( 2 ) . Seeds induced hyperactivity of CNS in mice . Ind . J . Exptl . Biol . 1968, 6, 232 ( 5 )

Diuretic
oil produced marked diuretic effect in rabbits . Ind.J . Med . Res . 1954,  ( 5 )   

Cardiovascular
Fruits left after extraction of essential oil showed marked cardiotonic activity . . Ind.J . Med . Res . 1954, 42, 389  . Etherextract showed antiasggregating effect against platelet aggregation bt arachidonic acid .pro0bably due to effect on throboxane production Prostaglandin LeukotEssen.fatty acids, 1988 . 

Hypotensive
Essential oil and crystalline substance loweredblood pressure in dogs and ratsdue to direct action on blood vessels . Ind.J . Med .  1954, 42, 389.

Spasmolytic
Seeds - Ketonic compound showed antispasmodic actvity particularly on smooth muscle of rabbit gut ., Ind.J.Pharm .1953, Ind.J . Med .1954.