Cumin Herb
Cuminum cyminum
Cumin Herb (Cuminum cyminum) is a plant drug, also called Jirakam and Jira. Cumin herb (aerial parts) is less commonly used than seeds but has traditional applications.
| Botanical name | Cuminum cyminum |
|---|---|
| Family | Apiaceae · other entries in this family |
| Order | Apiales |
| Also known as | Cumin Herb, CuminHerb |
| Taxon identifiers | GBIF 3034775 · Wikidata Q132624 · NCBI Taxonomy 52462 |
| Sanskrit | जीरकम् (jīrakam) |
|---|---|
| Hindi | जीरा (jīrā) |
Sources: DDSA Practical Hindi-English Dictionary: 'Jīrā (जीरा): (nm) cumin seed'; species tie via Wisdom Library's Jīraka = Cuminum cyminum entry.; Wisdom Library: 'Jīraka (जीरक) is the Sanskrit name for a medicinal plant identified with Cuminum cyminum Linn.'; AFI and API named in the same entry as using Jīraka / Śvetajīraka for this species.. How we source.
The evidence at a glance
12papers on this site for this drug, published 2006 to 2024, 10 with a DOI.
- 4Systematic reviews and meta-analyses
- 6Other clinical studies and reviews
- 2Laboratory and animal studies
A count is not a conclusion and a tier is a study design, not a verdict. Each paper is listed with what it measured on the page below. See the research index for how papers are tiered.
Names and identification
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| English | Cumin herb |
Dosage forms and preparation
Dosage Forms: Swarasa (fresh juice), Churna (dried herb powder), Kashayam (decoction), Lepa (paste)
Standard Dosage: 5-10ml fresh juice; 2-4g dried herb powder twice daily; 30-50ml decoction. Cumin herb (aerial parts) is less commonly used than seeds but has traditional applications.
Optimal Timing: With meals for digestive support; fresh juice before meals; decoction between meals
Storage: Fresh herb refrigerated. Dried material in airtight, light-protected containers. Cool, dry conditions.
Marker Compounds: Apigenin, Luteolin, Quercetin, Chlorogenic acid, Caffeic acid, Gamma-terpinene, Para-cymene, Chlorophyll a and b
Synergistic Combinations
Published research
Literature indexed in PubMed that concerns this subject, grouped by study type. A paper appearing here is a record of what has been published, not evidence that the subject works, and laboratory or animal results do not transfer to people. Study titles link to PubMed so you can read the source rather than take our word.
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses4
- 2022. Efficacy of Cuminum Cyminum supplementation on lipid profile and anthropometric parameters: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trialsPhytotherapy research : PTR. PMID 34825421 · doi:10.1002/ptr.7327
- 2021. The effects of Cuminum cyminum on glycemic parameters: A systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled clinical trialsJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 34371114 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2021.114510
- 2021. The effect of cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) supplementation on glycemic indices: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsPhytotherapy research : PTR. PMID 33720457 · doi:10.1002/ptr.7075
- 2018. Cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) is a safe approach for management of lipid parameters: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsPhytotherapy research : PTR. PMID 30088304 · doi:10.1002/ptr.6162
Other clinical studies and reviews6
- 2021. A review on traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and clinical research of dietary spice Cuminum cyminum LPhytotherapy research : PTR. PMID 33893678 · doi:10.1002/ptr.7133
- 2020. Awareness and current knowledge of epilepsyMetabolic brain disease. PMID 31605258 · doi:10.1007/s11011-019-00494-1
- 2019. The Stimulatory Effects of Medicinal Plants on β2-adrenoceptors of Tracheal Smooth MuscleIranian journal of allergy, asthma, and immunology. PMID 30848570
- 2015. Cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) from traditional uses to potential biomedical applicationsChemistry & biodiversity. PMID 26010662 · doi:10.1002/cbdv.201400305
- 2013. Chemistry, technology, and nutraceutical functions of cumin (Cuminum cyminum L): an overviewCritical reviews in food science and nutrition. PMID 23035918 · doi:10.1080/10408398.2010.500223
- 2006. Cumin PMID 30000933
Laboratory and animal studies2
- 2024. Combined transcriptomics and metabolomics to analyse the response of Cuminum cyminum L. under Pb stressThe Science of the total environment. PMID 38453091 · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171497
- 2020. Isolation, structural elucidation and immuno-stimulatory properties of polysaccharides from Cuminum cyminumCarbohydrate polymers. PMID 31887877 · doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2019.115636
Reviewed by Dr. Awadesh Pratap Singh, BAMS, on 11 October 2026. What that review covered.
Consult a qualified vaidya before acting on anything here. Ayurvedic practice is prescribed to a person, not to a condition: the same dravya is given, withheld or substituted depending on your constitution, your agni, the season and what else you are already taking. A page cannot know any of that. Self-prescribing from a reference is how the wrong preparation, the wrong dose or the wrong anupana gets used.
Educational reference only. Nothing on this page is medical advice, a diagnosis, or a recommendation to take anything. Traditional uses and research findings are reported as published, not as claims about what any product does. If you take prescribed medication, raise any interaction with the prescriber rather than acting on a page. See our editorial standards.