The Immunomodulatory Effect of Nigella sativa

Abstract

Background: For thousands of years till nowadays, Nigella sativa (NS) has served as a common spice and food preservative. Its seed extracts, seed oil, and essential oil in traditional medicine have been used to remedy many ailments such as headaches, fever, gastric complaints, and even rheumatism. In addition, the antibacterial, virucidal, fungicidal, and antiparasitic properties of NS are well known. However, studies on the possible immunomodulatory effects of black cumin are relatively scarce. This article discusses in vitro and in vivo research supporting the immunomodulatory role of NS. Methods: The review is based on articles, books, and conference papers printed until September 2022, found in the Web of Science, PubMed, Wiley Online Library, and Google Scholar databases. Results: Experimental findings were reported concerning the ability of NS to modulate inflammation and immune responses or cytotoxic activity. Conclusions: All results suggest that NS can potentially be employed in developing effective therapeutic agents for regulating immune reactions.

Enhancement of Female Rat Fertility via Ethanolic Extract from Nigella sativa L. (Black Cumin) Seeds Assessed via HPLC-ESI-MS/MS and Molecular Docking

“…Based on the negative ionization MS in the second half of the chromatographic run, numerous fatty acids were assigned as significant peaks. Octadecadienoic acid (17) (Figure S11), octadecenoic acid (19) (Figure S12), and palmitic acid (20) were straightforward to interpret and had exact masses of 279.24, 281.22, and 255.29, respectively [25,26]. These were the least polar metabolites of all chromatograms.…”

“…For over 2000 years, N. sativa seeds have been widely used in Middle Eastern and Arabic traditional medicines to treat various ailments, such as skin conditions, stomach issues, headaches, diabetes, rheumatism, fever, cough, hypertension, and influenza [19][20][21]. Numerous studies have focused on the use of N. sativa for improving immunity, cardiovascular health, and digestive function, as well as treating complications, such as obesity, hypertension, and diabetes [9,[22][23][24].…”

Phytochemicals targeting glycolysis in colorectal cancer therapy: effects and mechanisms of action

“…Nigella sativa is a flowering plant that belongs to the Ranunculaceae family, native to south and southwest Asia, and is used to treat a variety of ailments such as diarrhea, asthma, headaches, cough, eczema, and more ( Ciesielska-Figlon et al, 2023 ). Thymoquinone is a bioactive constituent derived from the seeds of N. sativa and has shown significant anticancer activity in various tumors ( Phua et al, 2021 ).…”

Anti-diabetic effect of a combination of black seed (Nigella sativa) and cumin (Cuminum cyminum), a two-step study from bench to bed

“…The functional components of NS include thymoquinone (TQ) (30%-48%), p-cymene (7%-15%), carvacrol (6%-12%), sesquiterpene longifolene (1%-8%), 4-terpineol (2%-7%), tanethol (1%-4%), thymol, β-pinene, α-pinene, and γterpinene, α-thujene. Among these components, TQ has the most efficacy by reducing oxidative stress [16]. NS oil Functional Food Science 2024; 4(2): 55-68 has been observed to enhance glucose uptake by HepG2 cells through the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), facilitating healing processes [17].…”