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Review
. 2021 Jul 27:16:5117-5131.
doi: 10.2147/IJN.S314321. eCollection 2021.

Therapeutic Potential of Thymoquinone and Its Nanoformulations in Pulmonary Injury: A Comprehensive Review

Naif A Al-Gabri  1   2 , Sultan A M Saghir  3 , Sallah A Al-Hashedi  4 , Ali H El-Far  5 , Asmaa F Khafaga  6 , Ayman A Swelum  7 , Abdullah S Al-Wajeeh  8 , Shaker A Mousa  9 , Mohamed E Abd El-Hack  10 , Mohammed A E Naiel  11 , Khaled A El-Tarabily  12   13
Affiliations
Review

Therapeutic Potential of Thymoquinone and Its Nanoformulations in Pulmonary Injury: A Comprehensive Review

Naif A Al-Gabri et al. Int J Nanomedicine. .

Abstract

As a crucial organ, the lung is exposed to various harmful agents that may induce inflammation and oxidative stress, which may cause chronic or acute lung injury. Nigella sativa, also known as black seed, has been widely used to treat various diseases and is one of the most extensively researched medicinal plants. Thymoquinone (TQ) is the main component of black seed volatile oil and has been proven to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antineoplastic properties. The potential therapeutic properties of TQ against various pulmonary disorders have been studied in both in vitro and in vivo studies. Furthermore, the application of nanotechnology may increase drug solubility, cellular absorption, drug release (sustained or control), and drug delivery to lung tissue target sites. As a result, fabricating TQ as nanoparticles (NPs) is a potential therapeutic approach against a variety of lung diseases. In this current review, we summarize recent findings on the efficacy of TQ and its nanotypes in lung disorders caused by immunocompromised conditions such as cancer, diabetes, gastric ulcers, and other neurodegenerative diseases. It is concluded that TQ nanoparticles with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiasthma, and antitumor activity may be safely applied to treat lung disorders. However, more research is required before TQ nanoparticles can be used as pharmaceutical preparations in human studies.

Keywords: anticancer activity; antimicrobial activity; bioavailability; drug delivery; lung disease; molecular potential; nanoparticle; thymoquinone.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest for this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The molecular function of thymoquinone (TQ) pathways.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The pharmacological function of thymoquinone (TQ) as an anti-inflammatory agent in the prevention of lung disease.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Thymoquinone (TQ) nanoformulations’ bioavailability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamic prospects against lung diseases.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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