Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 51 in total

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  1. Regulation of low-density lipoprotein receptor and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase gene expression by thymoquinone-rich fraction and thymoquinone in HepG2 cells
    Al-Naqeep G, Ismail M, Allaudin Z
    J Nutrigenet Nutrigenomics, 2009;2(4-5):163-72.
    PMID: 19887822 DOI: 10.1159/000227264
    BACKGROUND AND AIM: Nigella sativa and its active constituent thymoquinone (TQ) have been exploited for their various health benefits. This work was aimed to investigate the regulatory effects of TQ-rich fraction (TQRF) and commercial TQ on the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) genes in HepG2 cells.

    METHODS AND RESULTS: TQRF was extracted from N. sativa seeds using supercritical fluid extraction. The regulatory effects of TQRF at 80 microg/ml and TQ at 2 microg/ml on LDLR and HMGCR gene expression were investigated in HepG2 cells using quantitative real-time PCR. The TQ content in TQRF was 2.77% (w/w) and was obtained at a temperature of 40 degrees C and a pressure of 600 bar. Treatment of cells with TQRF and TQ resulted in a 7- and 2-fold upregulation of LDLR mRNA level, respectively, compared with untreated cells. The mRNA level of HMGCR was downregulated by 71 and 12%, respectively, compared with untreated cells.

    CONCLUSION: TQRF and TQ regulated genes involved in cholesterol metabolism by two mechanisms, the uptake of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol via the upregulation of the LDLR gene and inhibition of cholesterol synthesis via the suppression of the HMGCR gene.

    Matched MeSH terms: Nigella sativa
  2. Nigella sativa thymoquinone-rich fraction greatly improves plasma antioxidant capacity and expression of antioxidant genes in hypercholesterolemic rats
    Ismail M, Al-Naqeep G, Chan KW
    Free Radic. Biol. Med., 2010 Mar 01;48(5):664-72.
    PMID: 20005291 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2009.12.002
    The antioxidant activities of the thymoquinone-rich fraction (TQRF) extracted from Nigella sativa and its bioactive compound, thymoquinone (TQ), in rats with induced hypercholesterolemia were investigated. Rats were fed a semipurified diet supplemented with 1% (w/w) cholesterol and were treated with TQRF and TQ at dosages ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 g/kg and 20 to 100 mg/kg body wt, respectively, for 8 weeks. The hydroxyl radical (OH(.))-scavenging activity of plasma samples collected from experimental rats was measured by electron spin resonance. The GenomeLab Genetic Analysis System was used to study the molecular mechanism that mediates the antioxidative properties of TQRF and TQ. Plasma total cholesterol and low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol levels were significantly decreased in the TQRF- and TQ-treated rats compared to untreated rats. Feeding rats a 1% cholesterol diet for 8 weeks resulted in a significant decrease in plasma antioxidant capacity, as measured by the capacity to scavenge hydroxyl radicals. However, rats treated with TQRF and TQ at various doses showed significant inhibitory activity toward the formation of OH(.) compared to untreated rats. Upon examination of liver RNA expression levels, treatment with TQRF and TQ caused the up-regulation of the superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), catalase, and glutathione peroxidase 2 (GPX) genes compared to untreated rats (P<0.05). In support of this, liver antioxidant enzyme levels, including SOD1 and GPX, were also apparently increased in the TQRF- and TQ-treated rats compared to untreated rats (P<0.05). In conclusion, TQRF and TQ effectively improved the plasma and liver antioxidant capacity and enhanced the expression of liver antioxidant genes of hypercholesterolemic rats.
    Matched MeSH terms: Nigella sativa
  3. Efficacy of Nigella sativa in alleviating benzo[a]pyrene-induced immunotoxicity in broilers
    Latif IK, Karim AJ, Zuki AB, Zamri-Saad M, Niu JP, Noordin MM
    Histol Histopathol, 2011 06;26(6):699-710.
    PMID: 21472685 DOI: 10.14670/HH-26.699
    The immune response of broiler chickens exposed to intra-tracheal (i.t.) administration of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) with and without Nigella sativa (Ns) supplementation was investigated. A total of 120 day-old chicks were divided into four groups comprising 30 birds each, into a control, Ns, BaP, and BaP+Ns group. Immune responses to Newcastle disease (ND) were evaluated by haemagglutination inhibition (HI), phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) skin test and carbon clearance assay (CCA). In most instances, there was a significant increase (p<0.05) in the ND-HI antibody titers, PHA skin-swelling response and phagocytic activity in the BaP + Ns group compared to that of the BaP group. Likewise, organ weight and indices of the spleen, bursa of Fabricius and thymus of birds from the BaP + Ns group were also higher (p<0.05) than that of the BaP group from day 1 until day 21. It is concluded that exposure to BaP may exert adverse effects on the immune system of broilers which may increase their susceptibility to disease, and Ns supplementation significantly reduces these alterations.
    Matched MeSH terms: Nigella sativa*
  4. Thymoquinone from Nigella sativa was more potent than cisplatin in eliminating of SiHa cells via apoptosis with down-regulation of Bcl-2 protein
    Ng WK, Yazan LS, Ismail M
    Toxicol In Vitro, 2011 Oct;25(7):1392-8.
    PMID: 21609759 DOI: 10.1016/j.tiv.2011.04.030
    Thymoquinone (TQ), the active constituent of Nigella sativa or black cumin exhibited cytotoxic effects in several cancer cell lines. In this study, the cytotoxicity of TQ in human cervical squamous carcinoma cells (SiHa) was investigated. TQ was cytotoxic towards SiHa cells with IC50 values of 10.67 ± 0.12 and 9.33 ± 0.19 μg/mL as determined by MTT assay and trypan blue dye exclusion test, respectively, after 72 h of incubation. TQ was more cytotoxic towards SiHa cells compared to cisplatin. Interestingly, TQ was less cytotoxic towards the normal cells (3T3-L1 and Vero). Cell cycle analysis performed by flowcytometer showed a significant increase in the accumulation of TQ-treated cells at sub-G1 phase, indicating induction of apoptosis by the compound. Apoptosis induction by TQ was further confirmed by Annexin V/PI and AO/PI staining. Significant elevation of p53 and down-regulation of the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein was found in the treated cells, without any changes in the expression of the pro-apoptotic Bax protein. In conclusion, thymoquinone from N. sativa was more potent than cisplatin in elimination of SiHa cells via apoptosis with down-regulation of Bcl-2 protein.
    Matched MeSH terms: Nigella sativa/chemistry*
  5. Fulltext Primary human monocyte differentiation regulated by Nigella sativa pressed oil
    Mat MC, Mohamed AS, Hamid SS
    Lipids Health Dis, 2011;10:216.
    PMID: 22104447 DOI: 10.1186/1476-511X-10-216
    Oxidized low density lipoprotein plays an important role in development of foam cells in atherosclerosis. The study was focused on regulation of primary human monocyte growth and CD11b expression in presence of Nigella sativa oil.
    Matched MeSH terms: Nigella sativa*
  6. Fulltext Antiatherogenic Potential of Nigella sativa Seeds and Oil in Diet-Induced Hypercholesterolemia in Rabbits
    Al-Naqeep G, Al-Zubairi AS, Ismail M, Amom ZH, Esa NM
    Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2011;2011:213628.
    PMID: 21792359 DOI: 10.1093/ecam/neq071
    Nigella sativa or Black seed (N. sativa L.) is traditionally used for several ailments in many Middle Eastern countries. It is an annual herbaceous plant that belongs to the Ranuculacea family with many beneficial properties as antitumor, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, antioxidative and antibacterial. This work attempted to study the effect of N. sativa seeds powder and oil on atherosclerosis in diet-induced hypercholesterolemic (HC) rabbits in comparison with simvastatin (ST). Twenty-five adult New Zealand male white rabbits, weighing 1.5-2.5 kg, were divided into five groups; normal group (NC, n = 5) and four hypercholesterolemic groups (n = 20): a positive control (PC) and three HC groups force fed diet supplemented with 1000 mg Kg(-1) body weight of N. sativa powder (NSP), 500 mg Kg(-1) body N. sativa oil (NSO) and 10 mg Kg(-1) ST for 8 weeks. Feeding HC rabbits with N. sativa either in powder or oil forms was shown to significantly reduce (P < .05) total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC) levels and enhance high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) levels after treatment for 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks compared to the PC group. Plaque formation was significantly inhibited while the intima: media ratio was significantly reduced in the NSP and NSO supplemented groups compared to the PC group. In conclusion, treatment of HC rabbits with N. sativa seeds powder or oil showed hypocholesterolemic and antiatherogenic cardioprotective properties.
    Matched MeSH terms: Nigella sativa
  7. Fulltext Physicochemical and antioxidant properties of Bangladeshi honeys stored for more than one year
    Islam A, Khalil I, Islam N, Moniruzzaman M, Mottalib A, Sulaiman SA, et al.
    BMC Complement Altern Med, 2012;12:177.
    PMID: 23043497 DOI: 10.1186/1472-6882-12-177
    There is no available information on physicochemical and antioxidant properties on Bangladeshi honey. We investigated five different monofloral and three different multifloral honey samples collected from different parts of Bangladesh.
    Matched MeSH terms: Nigella sativa
  8. Fulltext Nigella sativa: A Potential Antiosteoporotic Agent
    Shuid AN, Mohamed N, Mohamed IN, Othman F, Suhaimi F, Mohd Ramli ES, et al.
    Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2012;2012:696230.
    PMID: 22973403 DOI: 10.1155/2012/696230
    Nigella sativa seeds (NS) has been used traditionally for various illnesses. The most abundant and active component of NS is thymoquinone (TQ). Animal studies have shown that NS and TQ may be used for the treatment of diabetes-induced osteoporosis and for the promotion of fracture healing. The mechanism involved is unclear, but it was postulated that the antioxidative, and anti-inflammatory activities may play some roles in the treatment of osteoporosis as this bone disease has been linked to oxidative stress and inflammation. This paper highlights studies on the antiosteoporotic effects of NS and TQ, the mechanisms behind these effects and their safety profiles. NS and TQ were shown to inhibit inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1 and 6 and the transcription factor, nuclear factor κB. NS and TQ were found to be safe at the current dosage for supplementation in human with precautions in children and pregnant women. Both NS and TQ have shown potential as antiosteoporotic agent but more animal and clinical studies are required to further assess their antiosteoporotic efficacies.
    Matched MeSH terms: Nigella sativa
  9. Fulltext Study on the potential toxicity of a thymoquinone-rich fraction nanoemulsion in Sprague Dawley rats
    Tubesha Z, Imam MU, Mahmud R, Ismail M
    Molecules, 2013 Jun 26;18(7):7460-72.
    PMID: 23803717 DOI: 10.3390/molecules18077460
    Toxicological studies constitute an essential part of the effort in developing an herbal medicine into a drug product. A newly developed thymoquinone-rich fraction nanoemulsion (TQRFNE) has been prepared using a high pressure homogenizer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential acute toxicity of this nanoemulsion in Sprague Dawley rats. The acute toxicity studies were conducted as per the OECD guidelines 425, allowing for the use of test dose limit of 20 mL TQRFNE (containing 44.5 mg TQ)/kg. TQRFNE and distilled water (DW) as a control were administered orally to both sexes of rats on Day 0 and observed for 14 days. All the animals appeared normal, and healthy throughout the study. There was no observed mortality or any signs of toxicity during the experimental period. The effects of the TQRFNE and DW groups on general behavior, body weight, food and water consumption, relative organ weight, hematology, histopathology, and clinical biochemistry were measured. All the parameters measured were unaffected as compared to the control (DW) group. The administration of 20 mL TQRFNE /kg was not toxic after an acute exposure.
    Matched MeSH terms: Nigella sativa/metabolism*
  10. Fulltext Cellular responses with thymoquinone treatment in human breast cancer cell line MCF-7
    Motaghed M, Al-Hassan FM, Hamid SS
    Pharmacognosy Res, 2013 Jul;5(3):200-6.
    PMID: 23900121 DOI: 10.4103/0974-8490.112428
    Nigella sativa or black seed extract has been reported to show various medicinal benefits. Thymoquinone which is an active compound of its seed has been reported to contain anti-cancer properties.
    Matched MeSH terms: Nigella sativa
  11. Fulltext Proapoptotic and antimetastatic properties of supercritical CO2 extract of Nigella sativa Linn. against breast cancer cells
    Baharetha HM, Nassar ZD, Aisha AF, Ahamed MB, Al-Suede FS, Abd Kadir MO, et al.
    J Med Food, 2013 Dec;16(12):1121-30.
    PMID: 24328702 DOI: 10.1089/jmf.2012.2624
    Nigella sativa, commonly referred as black cumin, is a popular spice that has been used since the ancient Egyptians. It has traditionally been used for treatment of various human ailments ranging from fever to intestinal disturbances to cancer. This study investigated the apoptotic, antimetastatic, and anticancer activities of supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) extracts of the seeds of N. sativa Linn. against estrogen-dependent human breast cancer cells (MCF-7). Twelve extracts were prepared from N. sativa seeds using the SC-CO2 extraction method by varying pressure and temperature. Extracts were analyzed using FTIR and UV-Vis spectrometry. Cytotoxicity of the extracts was evaluated on various human cancer and normal cell lines. Of the 12 extracts, 1 extract (A3) that was prepared at 60°C and 2500 psi (~17.24 MPa) showed selective antiproliferative activity against MCF-7 cells with an IC50 of 53.34±2.15 μg/mL. Induction of apoptosis was confirmed by evaluating caspases activities and observing the cells under a scanning electron microscope. In vitro antimetastatic properties of A3 were investigated by colony formation, cell migration, and cell invasion assays. The elevated levels of caspases in A3 treated MCF-7 cells suggest that A3 is proapoptotic. Further nuclear condensation and fragmentation studies confirmed that A3 induces cytotoxicity through the apoptosis pathway. A3 also demonstrated remarkable inhibition in migration and invasion assays of MCF-7 cells at subcytotoxic concentrations. Thus, this study highlights the therapeutic potentials of SC-CO2 extract of N. sativa in targeting breast cancer.
    Matched MeSH terms: Nigella sativa/chemistry*
  12. Fulltext Authentication of Nigella sativa seed oil in binary and ternary mixtures with corn oil and soybean oil using FTIR spectroscopy coupled with partial least square
    Rohman A, Ariani R
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2013;2013:740142.
    PMID: 24319381 DOI: 10.1155/2013/740142
    Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) combined with multivariate calibration of partial least square (PLS) was developed and optimized for the analysis of Nigella seed oil (NSO) in binary and ternary mixtures with corn oil (CO) and soybean oil (SO). Based on PLS modeling performed, quantitative analysis of NSO in binary mixtures with CO carried out using the second derivative FTIR spectra at combined frequencies of 2977-3028, 1666-1739, and 740-1446 cm(-1) revealed the highest value of coefficient of determination (R (2), 0.9984) and the lowest value of root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC, 1.34% v/v). NSO in binary mixtures with SO is successfully determined at the combined frequencies of 2985-3024 and 752-1755 cm(-1) using the first derivative FTIR spectra with R (2) and RMSEC values of 0.9970 and 0.47% v/v, respectively. Meanwhile, the second derivative FTIR spectra at the combined frequencies of 2977-3028 cm(-1), 1666-1739 cm(-1), and 740-1446 cm(-1) were selected for quantitative analysis of NSO in ternary mixture with CO and SO with R (2) and RMSEC values of 0.9993 and 0.86% v/v, respectively. The results showed that FTIR spectrophotometry is an accurate technique for the quantitative analysis of NSO in binary and ternary mixtures with CO and SO.
    Matched MeSH terms: Nigella sativa/chemistry*
  13. Fulltext Nigella sativa Oil Enhances the Spatial Working Memory Performance of Rats on a Radial Arm Maze
    Sahak MK, Mohamed AM, Hashim NH, Hasan Adli DS
    Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2013;2013:180598.
    PMID: 24454487 DOI: 10.1155/2013/180598
    Nigella sativa, an established historical and religion-based remedy for a wide range of health problems, is a herbal medicine known to have antioxidant and neuroprotective effects. This present study investigated the effect of Nigella sativa oil (NSO) administration on the spatial memory performance (SMP) of male adult rats using eight-arm radial arm maze (RAM). Twelve Sprague Dawley rats (7-9 weeks old) were force-fed daily with 6.0  μ L/100 g body weight of Nigella sativa oil (NSO group; n = 6) or 0.1 mL/100 g body weight of corn oil (control) (CO group; n = 6) for a period of 20 consecutive weeks. For each weekly evaluation of SMP, one day food-deprived rats were tested by allowing each of them 3 minutes to explore the RAM for food as their rewards. Similar to the control group, the SMP of the treated group was not hindered, as indicated by the establishment of the reference and working memory components of the spatial memory. The results demonstrated that lesser mean numbers of error were observed for the NSO-treated group in both parameters as compared to the CO-treated group. NSO could therefore enhance the learning and memory abilities of the rats; there was a significant decrease in the overall mean number of working memory error (WME) in the NSO-treated group.
    Matched MeSH terms: Nigella sativa
  14. Fulltext Nigella sativa and Its Protective Role in Oxidative Stress and Hypertension
    Leong XF, Rais Mustafa M, Jaarin K
    Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2013;2013:120732.
    PMID: 23533459 DOI: 10.1155/2013/120732
    Hypertension increases the risk for a variety of cardiovascular diseases, including stroke, coronary artery disease, heart failure, and peripheral vascular disease. The increase in oxidative stress has been associated with the pathogenesis of hypertension. Increase of blood pressure is due to an imbalance between antioxidants defence mechanisms and free radical productions. Excessive production of reactive oxygen species reduces nitric oxide bioavailability leading to an endothelial dysfunction and a subsequent increase in total peripheral resistance. Hypertension can cause few symptoms until it reaches the advanced stage and poses serious health problems with lifelong consequences. Hypertensive patients are required to take drugs for life to control the hypertension and prevent complications. Some of these drugs are expensive and may have adverse reactions. Hence, it is timely to examine scientifically, complimentary therapies that are more effective and with minimal undesirable effects. Nigella sativa (NS) and its active constituents have been documented to exhibit antioxidant, hypotensive, calcium channel blockade and diuretic properties which may contribute to reduce blood pressure. This suggests a potential role of NS in the management of hypertension, and thus more studies should be conducted to evaluate its effectiveness.
    Matched MeSH terms: Nigella sativa
  15. Apoptotic activities of thymoquinone, an active ingredient of black seed (Nigella sativa), in cervical cancer cell lines
    Ichwan SJ, Al-Ani IM, Bilal HG, Suriyah WH, Taher M, Ikeda MA
    Chin J Physiol, 2014 Oct 31;57(5):249-55.
    PMID: 25241984 DOI: 10.4077/CJP.2014.BAB190
    Thymoquinone (TQ) is the main constituent of black seed (Nigella sativa, spp) essential oil which shows promising in vitro and in vivo anti-neoplastic activities in different tumor cell lines. However, to date there are only a few reports regarding the apoptotic effects of TQ on cervical cancer cells. Here, we report that TQ stimulated distinct apoptotic pathways in two human cervical cell lines, Siha and C33A. TQ markedly induced apoptosis as demonstrated by cell cycle analysis in both cell lines. Moreover, quantitative PCR revealed that TQ induced apoptosis in Siha cells through p53-dependent pathway as shown by elevated level of p53-mediated apoptosis target genes, whereas apoptosis in C33A cells was mainly associated with the activation of caspase-3. These results support previous findings on TQ as a potential therapeutic agent for human cervical cancer.
    Matched MeSH terms: Nigella sativa/chemistry*
  16. Alternative supplement for enhancement of reproductive health and metabolic profile among perimenopausal women: a novel role of Nigella sativa
    Latiff LA, Parhizkar S, Dollah MA, Hassan ST
    Iran J Basic Med Sci, 2014 Dec;17(12):980-5.
    PMID: 25859301
    The aim of this open label crossover study was to investigate the effects of Nigella sativa on reproductive health and metabolic profile of perimenopausal women in Rawang, Malaysia.
    Matched MeSH terms: Nigella sativa
  17. Fulltext A randomised controlled trial on hypolipidemic effects of Nigella Sativa seeds powder in menopausal women
    Ibrahim RM, Hamdan NS, Mahmud R, Imam MU, Saini SM, Rashid SN, et al.
    J Transl Med, 2014;12:82.
    PMID: 24685020 DOI: 10.1186/1479-5876-12-82
    The risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is increased tremendously among menopausal women, and there is an increasing demand for alternative therapies for managing factors like dyslipidemia that contribute to CVD development.
    Matched MeSH terms: Nigella sativa/embryology*
  18. Fulltext Thymoquinone inhibits murine leukemia WEHI-3 cells in vivo and in vitro
    Salim LZ, Othman R, Abdulla MA, Al-Jashamy K, Ali HM, Hassandarvish P, et al.
    PLoS One, 2014;9(12):e115340.
    PMID: 25531768 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0115340
    BACKGROUND: Thymoquinone is an active ingredient isolated from Nigella sativa (Black Seed). This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo anti-leukemic effects of thymoquinone on WEHI-3 cells.

    METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The cytotoxic effect of thymoquinone was assessed using an MTT assay, while the inhibitory effect of thymoquinone on murine WEHI-3 cell growth was due to the induction of apoptosis, as evidenced by chromatin condensation dye, Hoechst 33342 and acridine orange/propidium iodide fluorescent staining. In addition, Annexin V staining for early apoptosis was performed using flowcytometric analysis. Apoptosis was found to be associated with the cell cycle arrest at the S phase. Expression of Bax, Bcl2 and HSP 70 proteins were observed by western blotting. The effects of thymoquinone on BALB/c mice injected with WEHI-3 cells were indicated by the decrease in the body, spleen and liver weights of the animal, as compared to the control.

    CONCLUSION: Thymoquinone promoted natural killer cell activities. This compound showed high toxicity against WEHI-3 cell line which was confirmed by an increase of the early apoptosis, followed by up-regulation of the anti-apoptotic protein, Bcl2, and down-regulation of the apoptotic protein, Bax. On the other hand, high reduction of the spleen and liver weight, and significant histopathology study of spleen and liver confirmed that thymoquinone inhibited WEHI-3 growth in the BALB/c mice. Results from this study highlight the potential of thymoquinone to be developed as an anti-leukemic agent.

    Matched MeSH terms: Nigella sativa/metabolism; Nigella sativa/chemistry
  19. Fulltext Nigella sativa Fixed and Essential Oil Supplementation Modulates Hyperglycemia and Allied Complications in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetes Mellitus
    Sultan MT, Butt MS, Karim R, Zia-Ul-Haq M, Batool R, Ahmad S, et al.
    Evid Based Complement Alternat Med, 2014;2014:826380.
    PMID: 24511321 DOI: 10.1155/2014/826380
    In the recent era, diabetes mellitus has emerged as one of the significant threats to public health and this situation demands the attention of the researchers and allied stakeholders. Dietary regimens using functional and nutraceutical foods are gaining wide range of acceptance and some traditional medicinal plants are of considerable importance. The main objective of this instant study was to explore the antidiabetic potential of Nigella sativa fixed oil (NSFO) and essential oil (NSEO). Three experimental groups of rats received diets during the entire study duration, that is, D1 (control), D2 (NSFO: 4.0%), and D3 (NSEO: 0.30%). Experimental diets (NSFO & NSEO) modulated the lipid profile, while decreasing the antioxidant damage. However, production of free radicals, that is, MDA, and conjugated dienes increased by 59.00 and 33.63%, respectively, in control. On the contrary, NSFO and NSEO reduced the MDA levels by 11.54 and 26.86% and the conjugated dienes levels by 32.53 and 38.39%, respectively. N. sativa oils improved the health and showed some promising anti-diabetic results.
    Matched MeSH terms: Nigella sativa
  20. Fulltext Nigella sativa fixed and essential oil improves antioxidant status through modulation of antioxidant enzymes and immunity
    Sultan MT, Butt MS, Karim R, Ahmad N, Ahmad RS, Ahmad W
    Pak J Pharm Sci, 2015 Mar;28(2):589-95.
    PMID: 25730812
    The onset of 21st century witnessed the awareness among the masses regarding the diet-health linkages. The researchers attempted to explore traditional products/plants were in the domain of pharmacy and nutrition focussing on their health benefits. In the present research intervention, we investigate the role of Nigella sativa fixed oil (NSFO) and essential oil (NSEO) in improving antioxidant status and modulation of enzymes. The National Institute of Health (NIH) provided us 30 Sprague Dawley rats that were equally placed in three groups. The groups were fed on their respective diets (56 days) two experimental diets i.e. D2 (NSFO @ 4.0%) and D3 (NSEO @ 0.30%) and control. The indices pertaining to antioxidant status, antioxidant enzymes, and parameters pertaining to immunity were evaluated at 4 weeks interval. The experimental diets (NSFO@ 4.0% & NSEO@ 0.30%) modulated the activities of antioxidant enzymes i.e., catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione transferase (GST), glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), positively. Indices of antioxidant status like tocopherols and glutathione were in linear relationship with that of GPx, GR and GST (P<0.01). Myeloperoxidase activities were in negative correlation with GST (P<0.01) but positive correlation with some other parameters. In the nutshell, the fixed and essential oil of Nigella sativa are effective in improving the indices pertaining to antioxidant status, however, the immune boosting potential needs further clarification. However, authors are of the view that there is need to explore the molecular targets of Nigella sativa fixed and essential oils. Findings from such studies would be useful to validate this instant study for health promoting potential against diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disorders.
    Matched MeSH terms: Nigella sativa*
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