Caraway (Carum carvi L.) Essential Oils

Caraway (Carum carvi L.) is widely cultivated all over the world. It is among the widely used spices which are used as crude or essence in various food products for its pleasant flavor and antispoilage properties. The caraway seeds contain essential oils rich in nutraceutical compounds used as food supplements and plant-based medicine. Experimental evidences show that the essential oils (essence) and active ingredients such as carvone possess antioxidant and antimicrobal properties. Evidence shows that the essential oils are more effective when used as mixture suggesting the additive effects of the oil components. In this chapter, we introduce the caraway active components and their general applications particularly in food preservation and processing.