Two major stages of seed development are dormancy and germination which finally promotes the growth of a plant. Some internal and external factors such as hormonal, genetic, chromatin development and environmental factors which maintain the seed dormancy with passing time and other suitable factors, these dormancy promoters are gradually decreased causing release of dormancy and promoting germination by the mechanisms of ROS in plant signalling, cell elongation and reverse mobilization. But dormancy has some benefits in protecting the seed from extreme condition even after natural disaster as well as serving as food for predators in order to maintain balance of nature. So, dormancy can be inhibited by some phytochemical components like terpenoids, polyphenoliic compounds, flavonoids, alkaloids and glycosides by the mechanism of inhibiting water uptake system III and II, surface sterilization, reverse mobilization, cell elongation etc
Cancer is a growing health problem around the world and is second leading cause of death after heart disease. Although in the last century there has been effort to control the disease using various synthetic as well as herbal drugs but still not been controlled satisfactorily. Nigella sativa is one such herb which has very high potential in preventing cancer. There are various categories of phytochemicals that have been isolated from the plant and mainly terpene category of phytochemicals in the likes of Thymoquinone, carvone, germacrene, sabinene, alphahederin are prevalent. Some other phytochemicals that has been isolated are nigellone, nigellidone (alkaloids) cycloartenol, tirucallol, some fatty acids as well. Mainly two compounds have been concentrated upon for cancer, they are thymoquinone and alpha hederin N. sativa has been known to shown high efficacy in cancer and mainly works by promoting Caspase 8,9,3, suppressing Akt and NF-kB. Even some semisynthetic derivative like poloxin, kalapanaxosaponin I and also combination therapy has been found to be effective against cancer.
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