What to Know About Nigella Sativa Black Seed
Black cumin, recognized as a Haba al-Barakah (blessed seeds) or miracle herb, was considered by ancient herbalists to be “The herb from heaven” [12]. The Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) once stated, “This black cumin is healing for all diseases except death” [13], and therefore, it is known as ‘Prophetic medicine’ in the Muslim community. The Holy Bible also mentioned black cumin for its curative properties and designated it as ‘Melanthion’ by Hippocrates and Dioscorides [14]. This review covers those articles that demonstrate the health benefits of black cumin alone or its compounds or both. Various clinical trials have shown the potential of N. Sativa to act as a complementary diabetes treatment.
Are Black Seeds (Nigella) Healthy?
Nigella seeds have a different look -- darker in color and funnel-shaped. Sativa and its active component, thymoquinone (TQ) on neurological and mental disorders. Kumar S L, Naik Z, Panwar A, M S, Keluskar V, Kumar RS.
Benefits of Black Seed
It has been suggested that the estrogenic constituents of black cumin, such as anethole, might contribute to its lactogenic activity as this dopamine analog stimulates prolactin release and increase milk production by antagonizing at the dopamine receptor site [291]. However, histoarchitectural evaluation of mammary glands and profiling of pituitary prolactin are warranted to clarify the detailed mechanism of the lactogenic activity of this plant. Sativa demonstrated immunomodulatory (1) (2) (11), antioxidant (15), antiparasitic (13) and hepatoprotective effects (14)in preclinical studies. In most of the studies included in the review, N. Sativa may also have positive effects on these and other skin conditions.
Safety Evaluation of Black Cumin-Based Therapeutics
Sativa seed on the glycemic control of patients with type-2 diabetes (DM-2) was also used as an adjunctive treatment added to their oral hypoglycemic agents. Sativa at a dose of two g/day also influenced substantial reductions in fasting plasma glucose and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) without major alteration in body weight [49]. Sativa (NSO) at 2 mL/kg also was showed to reduce fasting plasma glucose and intensification of insulin levels in diabetic rats compared to control.
Medicinal use of black cumin
It even appears in the words of the Prophet Muhammad, who describes the seeds as "a remedy for every illness except death." Early herb specialists described it as "the herb from heaven." The seeds were also mentioned in the Holy Bible and ancient Greek medicine. Gastric ulcer is a nigellaltd.com/maslo-ot-tikveno-seme-250-ml/ multi-step disease and healing requires a complex process including repair and re-architecture of the gastric mucosa. In a rat model of acetic acid-induced gastric ulcers, rhamnogalacturonan-I type pectic polysaccharide of black cumin can mediate ulcer healing by modulating signaling pathways involved in either ulcer aggravation or healing process [199]. The potentiality of black cumin in preventing or curing gastric ulcers has also been reviewed elsewhere [200]. Moreover, black cumin and TQ were shown to protect against various chemical-induced neuronal injury in experimental conditions (Table 1). The neuroprotective potentials of black cumin and TQ mostly stem from antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties [47] (Figure 3).
1. Antioxidant Activity
Sativa warrants further investigation for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Animal studies are showing promise for use of N. Sativa is showing promise as a treatment for bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.
May Promote Heart Health
- In both ischemic and traumatic brain injuries, there is a lack of human clinical trials and, therefore, it is recommended to validate the preclinically reported neuroprotective effects of black cumin and TQ.
- Several randomized, double-blind clinical trials demonstrated potential hepatoprotective effects of black cumin extract or other preparations (Table 6).
- A growing body of literature suggests protective effects of black cumin, particularly NSO against a range of chemical/drug/heavy metals/pesticides-induced nephrotoxicity.
- Fatty liver, also known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), occurs when the excess fat builds up in the liver.
- These infections are often vancomycin-resistant and methicillin-resistant (MRSA), which means they don’t respond to antibiotics.
In addition to its potentials on activating cellular antioxidant defense system, black cumin can directly scavenge free radicals, as demonstrated in several in vitro chemical assays like DPPH assay [35,292,293,294]. However, by virtue, TQ has a relatively poor capacity to quench free radicals because of its oxidized form [295]. This observation strengthens the idea that TQ can exert its antioxidant capacity by activating the Nrf2-dependent antioxidant defense system. However, thymohydroquinone, the reduced form of TQ, possesses a high radical-scavenging capacity [295]. It has been speculated that the conversion of TQ to thymohydroquinone can occur in cells and that the electron transport chain may have an important role in the antioxidant action of TQ.
On the other hand, NSO prevented haloperidol (an antipsychotic drug) induced nephrotoxicity in rats [250]. Moreover, NSO functions as an antidote against nephrotoxicity and renal damage caused by high doses of penconazole, a triazole fungicide widely used in agriculture, human and veterinary medicine [251]. As presented in Table 1, black cumin and TQ show promise for their antidepressant, anxiolytic [63,64,65,66], and anti-schizophrenic [72] agents. In several animal models of epilepsy, black cumin and TQ were shown to reduce convulsion and improve memory performance.
We also highlight pharmacokinetic herb–drug interactions and address safety issues related to medicinal uses of black cumin. Thymoquinone and other constituents also showed anticancer effects (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (25). Sativa oil, when injected, protected against radiation-induced tissue damage in a murine model (15).
Is caraway seed the same as black cumin?
Elwendia persica, black cumin is considered similar to caraway, but they are two distinctly different plants. The seeds differ dramatically in shape, color and size. Caraway seeds appear brown in color, while Black Cumin is mostly black with a slight curve shape.
What is black cumin good for?
The medicinal use of black cumin seeds in various traditional herbal systems is known for a wide range of ailments which include different airway disorders, for pain such as chronic headache and back pain, diabetes, paralysis, infection, inflammation, hypertension, and digestive tract related problems administered in ...