The chemical composition of the essential oil of Nigella damascena L. seeds, collected from fruiting plants in their natural habitat, was examined in comparison with commercial seeds. Twenty-eight compounds were identified in wild seeds by GC/MS: 10 sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (93.8%), two alkaloids (0.3%) and three monoterpenes in trace amounts.
Twenty-six compounds were identified in commercial seeds by GC/MS: 15 sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (90.4%), two alkaloids (3.3%) and nine monoterpenes in trace amounts. The alkaloids were damascenine and methyl 2-amino-3-methoxy benzoate, the latter being detected for the first time in this species