Volume :
3
Issue :
3
Abstract :
Ammi species belong to the family Umbellifereae, contained bioactive compounds (mainly coumarins and flavonoids) of important biological activities. Ammi majus fruit contained amorphous glucoside 1%, tannin 0.45%, oleoresin 4.76%, acrid oil 3.2%, fixed oil 12.92%, proteins 13.83% and cellulose 22.4%. However , the major constituents of Ammi majus are the furanocoumarins, which included xanthotoxin (methoxsalen, 8-methoxypsoralen , ammoidin , up to 1.15%), imperatorin (ammidin, up to 0.75%) and bergapten (heraclin, majudin, 5-methoxypsoralen , up to 1.88%) , marmesin 0.25% , isoimperatorin 0.01%, heraclenin 0.07% and isopimpinellin 0.01%. Ammi visnaga contained γ-pyrones (furanochromone up to 4%), the principal compounds being khellin (0.3–1.2%), visnagin (0.05–0.30%), khellinol, ammiol, khellol and khellinin. Ammi visnaga also contained fixed oils (up to 18%) and coumarins (0.2–0.5%), the main one being the pyranocoumarin visnadin (0.3%). The previous pharmacological studies showed that Ammi majus was used effectively in the treatment of psoriasis, vitiligo and tinea versicolor. Its furocoumarins have bactericidal, fungicidal, insecticidal, larvicidal, moluscicidal, nematicidal, ovicidal, viricidal and herbicidal activities. Ammi visnaga was also used effectively for the treatment of vitiligo. It exerted a wide range of antibacterial activity and induced smooth muscle relaxant effects especially vascular smooth muscle. The present review will highlight the chemical constituents and the pharmacological and therapeutic effects of Ammi majus and Ammi visnaga.