Protective Effect ofNigella sativaandNigella damascenaFixed Oils Against Aflatoxin Induced Mutagenicity in the Classical and Modified Ames Test

Abstract

The antioxidant and mutagenic/antimutagenic activities of the fixed oils from Nigella sativa (NSO) and Nigella damascena (NDO) seeds, obtained by cold press‐extraction from the cultivar samples, were comparatively investigated for the first time. The antimutagenicity test was carried out using classical and modified Ames tests. The fatty acid composition of the fixed oils was characterized by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) while the quantification of thymoquinone in the fixed oils was determined by UPC2. The main components of the NSO and NDO were found to be linoleic acid, oleic acid, and palmitic acid. The results of the Ames test confirmed the safety of NSO and NDO from the viewpoint of mutagenicity. The results of the three antioxidant test methods were correlated with each other, indicating NDO as having a superior antioxidant activity, when compared to the NSO. Both NSO and NDO exhibited a significant protective effect against the mutagenicity induced by aflatoxin B1 in Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100 strains. When microsomal metabolism was terminated after metabolic activation of the mycotoxin, a significant increase in antimutagenic activity was observed, suggesting that the degradation of aflatoxin B1 epoxides by these oils may be a possible antimutagenic mechanism. It is worthy to note that this is the first study to assess the mutagenicity of NSO and NDO according to the OECD 471 guideline and to investigate antimutagenicity of NDO in comparison to NSO against aflatoxin.

Biological Properties, Phenolic Profile, and Botanical Aspect of Nigella sativa L. and Nigella damascena L. Seeds: A Comparative Study

“…The genus Nigella includes about 22 species of annual herbs belonging to the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) [ 1 ]. The term Nigella comes from the Latin “ niger ”, a reference to the intense black color of seeds in most Nigella species; the best known of these species are Nigella sativa L. (NS) and Nigella damascena L. (ND) [ 2 , 3 , 4 ].…”

“…Nigella sativa L. is commonly known as black cumin, black seed, habba Saouda and senoudj or sinoudj in Algeria and the Maghreb countries. It is naturally grown in North Africa, southern Europe, the Middle East, and Southwest Asia, and is widely cultivated for numerous industrial and medicinal purposes (food and therapeutic uses) [ 1 , 5 , 6 , 7 ] mainly in India, Pakistan, Iran, Syria, Turkey, Ethiopia, Oman, and Saudi Arabia [ 8 , 9 , 10 ]. The NS seeds stimulate great interest in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical fields.…”

“…The NS seeds stimulate great interest in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical fields. They are applied for respiratory and digestive disorders including asthma, bronchitis, dysentery, and stomachache, and are is utilized as an insect repellent, diuretics, and for the treatment of rheumatism, headaches, as well to improve kidney and liver function [ 1 , 2 , 6 , 11 ]. The NS seeds are also employed as preservatives and spices to flavor foods, such as bakery products, cheese, pickles, and a variety of traditional dishes [ 4 , 8 , 12 ].…”

Structural Diversity, Spectral Data, and Pharmacological Effects of Genus Nigella

“…Aflatoxin B1‐induced mutagenicity was examined in N. damascena seed oil using S. typhimurium strains. The study found no influence on bacterial viability and no evidence of cytotoxicity in the tested strains at a 5000 μg concentration per plate [59] …”

“…The study found no influence on bacterial viability and no evidence of cytotoxicity in the tested strains at a 5000 μg concentration per plate. [59]…”