Nigella sativa, a Jack of all trades plant in medicine: Pharmacological aspects in diseases treatment and prevention

Abstract

Nigella sativa L. (Ranunculaceae) is one of the most widely used traditional therapeutic plants. It possesses important classes of bioactive compounds among which thymoquinone as the major bioactive component of the essential oil has attracted noteworthy attention due to its active role in treating a various range of disorders. N. sativa can induce a wide range of pharmacological functions including anti-oxidative stress responses, antidiabetic, anticancer, cell apoptosis and increase membrane permeability, immunomodulatory, analgesic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, spasmolytic, bronchodilatory, hepato-protective, renal protective, gastro-protective, and antioxidant properties. The seeds of N. sativa , commonly known as black seed or black cumin, show many potential pharmacological roles and are utilized in folk (herbal) medicine all over the world for the treatment and prevention of a various range of diseases and conditions including asthma, cancers, inflammatory situations, type 2 diabetes mellitus disorders, bacterial and viral infections, and dyslipidemia. This review outlines the main pharmacological properties of N. sativa and its components due to their potential wide applications for a large variety of human diseases. The seeds constitute both fixed and essential oils, proteins, alkaloids and saponin. Much of the biological function of the seeds has been demonstrated to be due to thymoquinone. Beneficial influences of the seeds application and thymoquinone might be contributed to their cytoprotective and antioxidant functions, and to their effect on immune response and some inflammatory mediators.