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Nigella sativa - Mugrela
Mugrela or Nigella sativa (black-caraway, also known as nigella or kalonji), often called black cumin,[1] is an annual flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, native to south and southwest Asia.
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Description
Nigella sativa grows to 20–30 cm (7.9–11.8 in) tall, with finely divided, linear (but not thread-like) leaves. The flowers are delicate, and usually colored pale blue and white, with five to ten petals.
The black caraway fruit is a large and inflated capsule composed of three to seven united follicles, each containing numerous seeds which are used as spice, sometimes as a replacement for black cumin (Bunium bulbocastanum).
Uses
- The seeds of Nigella sativa are used as a spice in Indian and Middle Eastern cuisines. The black seeds taste like a combination of onions, black pepper and oregano. They have a pungent bitter taste and smell.
- N. sativa has a long history of use as medicine. Modern clinical trials have begun to investigate its efficacy, mainly using the seed oil extract, volatile oil, and isolated constituent thymoquinone.
- The most trials, and those of the best quality to date, provide preliminary support for its use in asthma (for both prevention and treatment of acute attacks), allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis.[2]
- The seeds are recommended for cough and bronchial asthma.[3]
- The herb also has analgesic properties, which depress the central nervous system.[3]
