Ajenuz (Nigella sativa)

Annual plant that can measure a foot in height, meaning that its size is small. It has few branches and not much hair. The leaves have many divisions, fine each, and take the form of needles, thus giving the general impression of having a tree structure. It is native to the Middle East and has spread through southern Europe. In Spain for some time cultivated in gardens as an ornamental plant, but now their presence is not as prevalent.

FLOWERING

It blooms in the spring and summer. The flowers have five sepals of white, green or blue at the ends. The fruit consists of five small capsules, welded together and rough surface. Seeds are collected.

APPLICATIONS

The seeds contain up to 40% oil, consisting of glycerides, myristic acid, palmitic and stearic. It also contains an essence, which is a little more than 1%, the cause of their unpleasant odor. It also has as melantina saponins, which gives a bitter taste and subsequently becomes melantigenina and glucose through a hydrolytic process. Traditionally it has been used many times, so I will list some of its more common uses: The seeds have often been used as a spice in cooking, similar to how you use the pepper. Has also been used as exciting and as for removing stains and lightening freckles on the skin as it has a slight queratoplástica and keratolytic action that destroys the keratin of skin, penetrating deep zone and removing surface stains. The use of concentrated seed extract, applied on warts or calluses, you can delete these. Brews have also been employed as a dental analgesic, which is achieved through the practice of rinsing. Finally, it has been used as a diuretic, and emmenagogue galactógena.

ADMINISTRATION

Infusion. Two grams of seed pieces are added to 200 milliliters of water previously boiled and still warm, leaving it in contact for twelve minutes, after which the appropriate filter, the resulting liquid can be taken twice a day to get a diuretic effect.
cooking. He added five grams of seed in 400 milliliters of water, Boil, maintaining this temperature for three minutes, then allowed to cool slowly for ten minutes more, stirring occasionally and then filtering it to obtain a clear liquid that can be used as mouthwash to relieve dental pain.

SUMMARY

FAMILY: Ranunculaceae
HABITAT: Southern Europe
FLOWERING: Spring and summer
PART USED: Seeds
CASTILIAN: Neguilla hortense
CATALAN: Pebreta
BASQUE: Ezkarte

USES

Exciting Moderate, Mild Analgesics, Mild diuretic.