Nigella sativa (Black Seed) as a Natural Remedy against Viruses

Abstract

The currently available antiviral agents are associated with serious adverse effects, coupled with the increasing rate of viral resistance to the existing antiviral drugs. Hence, the search for alternative natural remedies is gaining momentum across the globe. Nigella sativa Linnen, also called Black seed, is a medicinal plant that is gaining worldwide recognition and has been extensively investigated. The present work is aimed to review the existing literature on the antiviral efficacy of Nigella sativa extracts (oil & bioactive compounds). The findings reveal that numerous articles have been published on Nigella sativa and its beneficial effects against different kinds of diseases. However, the antiviral efficacy of Nigella sativa is yet to be given the proper research attention it deserves.

Exploring the inhibitory potential of Nigella sativa against dengue virus NS2B/NS3 protease and NS5 polymerase using computational approaches

“…The selected phytochemicals have previously been studied for various having inhibitory potential against infectious diseases. 23,29–31 3D structures of the selected phytochemicals were downloaded from PubChem in SDF formats and Biovia Discovery studio v2021 was used to convert them into PDB format. Ligands were prepared for docking by fixing charges and adding polar hydrogen before being saved in PDBQT format.…”

Evidence-based anti-viral and immunomodulatory potential of Black cumin (Nigella sativaL.) in COVID-19

“…HCV-RNA (Sheir et al, 2013). Nowadays, COVID-19 is a serious global threat, and in this regard, NS may be a promising natural therapy to cure such infectious diseases via decreasing the viral load (Basurra et al, 2021).…”

Carvacrol: A PLpro Inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 Is a Natural Weapon for COVID-19

“…and extracts of neem, tulsi, and tea have been widely used for the remedy of flu-like diseases and for treatment of the common cold. Among these, Nigella sativa (NS) or black seed is greatly studied because of its pharmacological properties including antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and immunostimulatory activities [17,18].…”