Ammi : Chemical Constituents and Uses

English: Ammi majus, Apiaceae, Bishopsweed, Bullwort, Greater Ammi, Lady’s Lace, Laceflower, habitus. The blooming plants are used in homeopathy as remedy

Morphology, Cultivation and Distribution of Ammi:

Ammi is a plant obtained from the fruits of Ammi majus, belonging to the family Umbelliferae.

These are the plants which are native to Egypt and is wildly grown in Europe, Abyssinia and West Africa.

The cultivation is carried out in Jammu and Kashmir of India.

The plant is cultivated in North India by some private pharmaceutical firms and CIMAP (Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants).

Chemical constituents of Ammi:

The active ingredient which is present in these fruits is xanthotoxin. The other constituents are furanocoumarin derivatives like bergapten, isopimpilin and imperatorin.

Uses of these plants:

• Xanthotoxin is also known as methoxsalen and is used to increase the formation of melanin pigments in the skin on exposure to ultra violet light.
• Used in the treatment of idiopathic vitiligo.