Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2021 Feb:25:100404.
doi: 10.1016/j.hermed.2020.100404. Epub 2020 Sep 19.

An updated knowledge of Black seed (Nigella sativa Linn.): Review of phytochemical constituents and pharmacological properties

Md Faruque Ahmad  1 , Fakhruddin Ali Ahmad  2 , Syed Amir Ashraf  3 , Hisham H Saad  1 , Shadma Wahab  4 , Mohammed Idreesh Khan  5 , M Ali  6 , Syam Mohan  7 , Khalid Rehman Hakeem  8 , Md Tanwir Athar  9   10
Affiliations
Review

An updated knowledge of Black seed (Nigella sativa Linn.): Review of phytochemical constituents and pharmacological properties

Md Faruque Ahmad et al. J Herb Med. 2021 Feb.

Abstract

N. sativa (N. sativa) has been used since ancient times, when a scientific concept about the use of medicinal plants for the treatment of human illnesses and alleviation of their sufferings was yet to be developed. It has a strong religious significance as it is mentioned in the religious books of Islam and Christianity. In addition to its historical and religious significance, it is also mentioned in ancient medicine. It is widely used in traditional systems of medicine for a number of diseases including asthma, fever, bronchitis, cough, chest congestion, dizziness, paralysis, chronic headache, back pain and inflammation. The importance of this plant led the scientific community to carry out extensive phytochemical and biological investigations on N. sativa. Pharmacological studies on N. sativa have confirmed its antidiabetic, antitussive, anticancer, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, neuro-protective, gastroprotective, immunomodulator, analgesic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, spasmolytic, and bronchodilator activity. The present review is an effort to explore the reported chemical composition and pharmacological activity of this plant. It will help as a reference for scientists, researchers, and other health professionals who are working with this plant and who need up to date knowledge about it.

Keywords: Antioxidant; Black Seed; N. sativa; Pharmacological properties; Phytochemistry.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest among them.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Morphological representation of various parts of N. sativa Linn.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Important bioactive compounds of N. sativa Linn.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Abd-El-Kader H., Seddek S., El-Shanawany A. In vitro study of the effect of some medicinal plants on the growth of some dermatophytes. Assiut Vet Med J. 1995;6(7):36–42.
    1. Abd-Elbaset M., Arafa E.-S.A., El Sherbiny G.A., Abdel-Bakky M.S., Elgendy A.N.A. Thymoquinone mitigate ischemia-reperfusion-induced liver injury in rats: a pivotal role of nitric oxide signaling pathway. Naunyn. Schmiedebergs. Arch. Pharmacol. 2017;390(1):69–76. - PubMed
    1. Abdelmeguid N.E., Fakhoury R., Kamal S.M., Al Wafai R.J. Effects of Nigella sativa and thymoquinone on biochemical and subcellular changes in pancreatic β‐cells of streptozotocin‐induced diabetic rats. J. Diabetes. 2010;2(4):256–266. - PubMed
    1. Agarwal R., Kharya M., Shrivastava R. Antimicrobial & anthelmintic activities of the essential oil of Nigella sativa Linn. Indian J. Exp. Biol. 1979;17(11):1264–1265. - PubMed
    1. Ahmad M.F. Ganoderma lucidum: persuasive biologically active constituents and their health endorsement. Biomed. Pharmacother. 2018;107:507–519. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources