(Carum carvi L.)
Caraway is a two-year plant belonging to the Apiaceace family. It is used in medicine for its fruit and essential oil. Caraway was already known in ancient Greece and Rome, and appeared in Poland during the reign of the Piast dynasty. Today it is used in cooking as a seasoning.
Caraway fruit extract and essential oil demonstrate a relaxant effect on smooth muscles of the digestive tract and regulate bowel movements. Furthermore, the plant raw materials prevent flatulence and stimulate the secretion of gastric acid.
The extract of the raw materials of caraway is usually a component of liquid dosage forms. Herbapol Wrocław used it in the production of syrup Rhelax, which is a drug traditionally used in constipation.
H. Strzelecka, J. Kowalski,Encyklopedia Zielarstwa i Ziołolecznictwa, Wyd. Naukowe PWN, Warszawa 2000, s. 226-227
E. Lamer-Zarawska, B. Kowal-Gierczak, J. Niedworok,Fitoterapia i Leki Roślinne, wyd. PZWL, Warszawa 2007, s.310-311
