Leung's Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics

inducing the detoxifying enzyme glutathione
S-transferase (GST) in several mouse target
tissues. Compounds that induce an increase in
the activity of GST detoxification are consid-
ered potential inhibitors of carcinogenesis.^17

TOXICOLOGY

Caraway seeds showed no mutagenic activity
in the Ames test.^18 The acute oral LD 50 of
caraway oil in rats is 6.68 g/kg and 3.5 mL/kg.
The acute dermal LD 50 of the oil in rabbits is
1.78 mL/kg.^19 Carvone showed no mutagenic
activity in the Ames test, although it did
produce chromosomal aberrations in CHO
cells and induced sister chromatid changes;
however, no carcinogenic activity was found
in mice of either sex administered carvone
by gavage daily (375 or 750 mg/kg/day,
5 days/week) for 2 years.^20 Other toxicity
studies have found that at 1% of the diet of
rats for 16 weeks, carvone produced testicular
atrophy and retarded growth; at 0.1% and
0.25% of the diet of rats for 28 weeks it had
no deleterious effects; and that based on a
12-week study, the maximum acceptable daily
intake of carvone in rats was 1 mg/kg.^19

USES

Medicinal, Pharmaceutical, and Cosmetic.
Used in some carminative, stomachic, and
laxative preparations. Caraway oil is widely
used in Europe in combination with pepper-
mint oil (seepeppermint) and other oils in the
treatment of dyspepsia;6,20–26also used as a
flavor in pharmaceuticals and as a fragrance
component in cosmetic preparations including
toothpaste, mouthwash, soaps, creams, lo-
tions, and perfumes, with maximum use level
of 0.4% reported in perfumes.

Food. Caraway is widely used as a domestic

spice. It is also extensively used in commercial

food products particularly baked goods (rye

bread, etc.) and meat and meat products,

among others. Caraway oil is used in all major

categories of foods, including alcoholic and

nonalcoholic beverages, frozen dairy desserts,

candy, baked goods, gelatins and puddings,

meat and meat products, condiments and

relishes, and others. Highest average maxi-

mum use level is reported to be about 0.02%

(225 ppm) in baked goods.

Dietary Supplements/Health Foods. Oil and

extract are used as ingredients in some pro-

ducts as spasmolytic aids to digestion (FOSTER;

WREN).

Traditional Medicine. Used as an antispas-

modic, antiflatulent, carminative,expectorant,

and stomachic for dyspepsia; also used to treat

incontinence and indigestion;6,27 relieving

menstrual discomforts, promoting milk secre-

tion, and others (WICHTL;WREN).

COMMERCIAL PREPARATIONS

Fruit and oil; official in N.F. and F.C.C.;

formerly official in U.S.P.

Regulatory Status. GRAS as a spice, natural

flavoring, or seasoning (§182.10); essential

oil, oleoresin, and natural extractives are also

GRAS (§182.20). Both essential oil and fruits

are subjects of German therapeutic mono-

graphs. Essential oil (in daily dose of 3–6

drops); spasmolytic, antimicrobial; for dys-

peptic complaints such as mild gastrointesti-

nal spasm, bloating, and fullness. Seed used

similarly, though therapeutic use not recom-

mended since efficacy is not well documented

(BLUMENTHAL1).

REFERENCES

See the General References forBAILEY1;BARRETT;BISSET;BLUMENTHAL1;CLAUS;FEMA;FOSTER;GRIEVE;
GUENTHER;JIANGSU;LIST AND HO ̈RHAMMER;LUST;MCGUFFIN1&2;USD26th;WREN.

Caraway 139