Therapeutic Potential of Nigella sativa (Black Seed)
Mehwish Iqbal in Complementary and Alternative Medicinal Approaches for Enhancing Immunity, 2023
Nigella sativa is typically recognised by the names of black cumin, kalonji, habbatus sauda and black seed; its countless nutritional and medicinal values commonly distinguish it from other herbs. Black seed has numerous nutrients, including vitamins, minerals and other phytoconstituents, especially thymol, carvacrol and thymoquinone, which has remarkable medicinal properties. The seed extract of Nigella sativa is stated to have a range of therapeutic properties, including anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antidiabetic, anti-infectious and immunity-boosting effects. The plant Nigella sativa belongs to the Ranunculaceae family and is considered one of the substantial medicinal plants in history; it has been advised for thousands of years, and it also has religious importance because it is mentioned in the holy books of different religions. The latest various research and scientific studies have validated all the traditional claims about black cumin (Gilani et al., 2004; Tavakkoli et al., 2017).
Anti-Hyperglycemic Property Of Medicinal Plants
Amit Baran Sharangi, K. V. Peter in Medicinal Plants, 2023
Nigella sativa, commonly known as black caraway or kalonji, is included in Ranunculaceae family and indigenous to South and Southwest Asia. Its seeds are being used as a spicing agent in Indian cuisine. Long term anti-hyperglycemic effect of N. sativa was investigated in insulin independent hyperglycemic patients by Kaatabi et al. (2015). Treatment with N. sativa was given orally at a dosage of 2 g daily for 1 year in addition to the standard medications. FBG levels, HbA1c, anti-oxidative enzyme activities were measured at the baseline and every 3 months for comparison. It was reported that hypoglycemic effect was seen in the patients and insulin resistance were too lowered in treated patients and also anti-oxidant defense mechanism as well as beta cell activity was enhanced (Kaatabi et al., 2015). In another study on STZ-I diabetic rats, 20% (w/w) methanolic extract of N. sativa resulted in significant reduction in several parameters associated with diabetes like blood glucose levels, lipid peroxidation, and others and improved anti-oxidant defense mechanism (El Rabey et al., 2017). N. sativa oil contains thymoquinone and has shown to exert positive effects in STZ-I hyperglycemic rats by ameliorating FBG levels and improving insulin secretion (Heba et al., 2018).
Monographs of essential oils that have caused contact allergy / allergic contact dermatitis
Anton C. de Groot in Monographs in Contact Allergy, 2021
Nigella sativa L. (black caraway, black cumin) is an annual flowering plant, which grows to 20–30 cm tall. The plant is native to Turkey and Iraq and is sometimes naturalized from the Mediterranean region to central Asia. It is widely cultivated in different parts of the world, mainly in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea (2); Egypt is one of the main producers of N. sativa seeds.
Nanocarriers: more than tour de force for thymoquinone
Published in Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery, 2020
Charul Rathore, Michael J Rathbone, Dinesh K Chellappan, Murtaza M Tambuwala, Terezinha De Jesus A Pinto, Harish Dureja, Chetna Hemrajani, Gaurav Gupta, Kamal Dua, Poonam Negi
Medicinal plants and their phytoconstituents hold a great therapeutic promise for various ailments, and thus in the recent times, a noteworthy upsurge in the scientific research has been noticed in the area of herbal medicines [1]. Nigella sativa (NS) (also known as black cumin seed; family Ranunculaceae) is one of the most promising medicinal plants, generally grown in the Mediterranean region and western Asia (India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan). The biological activity of NS is attributed to its potential chemical constituent, i.e.,, thymoquinone (TQ) (Figure 1). TQ (2-isopropyl-5-methylbenzo-1, 4-quinone) imparts 30–48% of whole constituents of NS seed oil [2]. It was first isolated by El-Dakhakhny in 1963 from NS black seeds using thin-layer chromatography [3]. However, it is also found in other plants like Eupatorium ayapana, the leaves of several Origanum species, the heartwood essential oils of Calocedrus decurrens, oil of different Satureja species, aerial flowering parts of Thymus vulgaris L. and Nepeta distans [4]. TQ belongs to the monoterpenoid class of benzoquinone having the molecular formula C10H12O2, and corresponding to a molecular weight of 164.20 g/mol. It contains a basic quinone ring conjugated to a methyl, and an isopropyl side chain in positions 2 and 5, respectively, [5].
Memory enhancing effect of Nigella Sativa hydro-alcoholic extract on lipopolysaccharide-induced memory impairment in rats
Published in Drug and Chemical Toxicology, 2019
Fatemeh Norouzi, Mahmoud Hosseini, Azam Abareshi, Farimah Beheshti, Majid Khazaei, Mohammad Naser Shafei, Mohammad Soukhtanloo, Zahra Gholamnezhad, Akbar Anaeigoudari
Nigella sativa (NS), a plant with green and blue flowers and small black seeds, has a rich historical and religious background in traditional medicine (Anvari et al.2012). The plant has been examined for some of biological activities and therapeutic potentials such as the effects on renal, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, immune, nervous, and respiratory systems (Ahmad et al.2013, Dollah et al.2013). The most of NS effects is attributed to a major active chemical component called thymoquinone (TQ) (Al-Ali et al.2008). Modeulatory effects of NS on some neurotransmitters in the brain have been suggested (Ahmad et al.2013). TQ has also been suggested to exert antianxiety effects in mice through modulating of nitric oxide (NO) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) (Gilhotra and Dhingra 2011). The effects of both NS and TQ on anxiety and depression such as behaviors induced LPS have also been reported (Hosseini et al.2012, Norouzi et al.2016). Researchers have also revealed that NS oil possesses antioxidant effects (Ezz et al.2011). Additionally, NS has shown some positive effects on learning and memory (Hosseini et al.2015, Beheshti et al.2017).
Protective Effect of Nigella sativa and Onion Extract against 5-Fluorouracil-Induced Hepatic Toxicity
Published in Nutrition and Cancer, 2022
Sherif Mohamed Zaki, Dania S. Waggas
Nigella Sativa is an annual flowering plant. Its seed oil is rich in polyphenols, tocopherols, protein, carbohydrates, vegetable oil and omega-3, and omega-6 fatty acids. Nigella seed oil provides an anti-inflammatory effect equivalent to that of 100 mg/kg aspirin (10–12). NS oil has been shown to protect different tissues against toxic agents in animal studies (13). Thymoquinone (TQ), one of the main active ingredients in NS, has powerful antioxidant properties (11, 14, 15). It prevents the hepatic oxidative damage caused by 2,3,4,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-P-dioxin (TCDD) (15, 16). It scavenges several ROS, including O−2 and OH− (17). TQ inhibits inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1 and 6 as well as nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) (16). TQ’s anticancer properties occur through its intervention with many oncogenic pathways, prevention of inflammation and oxidative stress, inhibition of angiogenesis, and inhibition of metastasis (18). TQ up-regulates particular tumor suppressor genes and down-regulates specific tumor-promoting genes (18). By inducing cell cycle arrest, disrupting microtubule organization, and downregulating the expression of cell survival proteins, it inhibits the proliferation of several tumor cells (18, 19). It promotes G1 phase cell cycle arrest by inhibiting the activation of cyclin E or cyclin D and up-regulating p27 and p21, a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor (18). TQ induces G2 phase arrest in breast cancer cells (MCF-7) at high concentrations, but low concentrations trigger S phase arrest (18).
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