Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Biomedical Science, Kulliyyah of Allied Health Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia, 25200 Kuantan, Malaysia; Faculty of Science, Sristy College of Tangail, 1900 Tangail, Bangladesh. Electronic address: mshossainbge@gmail.com
  • 2 Department of Biotechnology & Genetic Engineering, Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University, 1902 Tangail, Bangladesh
  • 3 Center for Natural Products Research and Drug Discovery, Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 4 Biofunctional Molecule Exploratory (BMEX) Research Group, School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia; College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, PR China
  • 5 Department of Industrial Biotechnology, Faculty of Industrial Sciences & Technology, Universiti Malaysia Pahang, 26300 Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia. Electronic address: urbi.zannat@gmail.com
  • 6 Department of Pharmacy, State University of Bangladesh, 77 Satmasjid Road, Dhanmondi, Dhaka 1205, Bangladesh; Health Med Science Research Limited, 3/1 Block F, Lalmatia, Dhaka 1207, Bangladesh
  • 7 PAP Rashidah Sa'adatul Bolkiah Institute of Health Sciences, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Gadong, BE1410 Brunei, Darussalam. Electronic address: long.ming@ubd.edu.bn
Biomed Pharmacother, 2021 Nov;143:112182.
PMID: 34649338 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2021.112182

Abstract

Nigella sativa L. is one of the most extensively used traditional medicinal plants. This widely studied plant is known to display diverse pharmacological actions, including antimicrobial activities. Current literature has documented its multi-target mode of antimicrobial actions. N. sativa or its bioactive compounds, such as thymoquinone, can induce oxidative stress, cell apoptosis (by producing reactive oxygen species), increase membrane permeability, inhibit efflux pumps, and impose strong biocidal actions. Despite its well-documented antimicrobial efficacy in the experimental model, to the best of our knowledge its antimicrobial mechanisms highlighting the multi-targeting properties have yet to be well discussed. Is N. sativa or thymoquinone a valuable lead compound for therapeutic development for infectious diseases? Are N. sativa's bioactive compounds potential antimicrobial agents or able to overcome antimicrobial resistance? This review aims to discuss the antimicrobial pharmacology of N. sativa-based treatments. Additionally, it provides a holistic overview of the ethnobotany, ethnopharmacology, and phytochemistry of N. sativa.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.