The ethnobotany, phytochemistry, and biological properties of Nigella damascena - A review.

This review is a systematic scientific work on medicinal and traditional use, on the chemical composition of specialized metabolites, volatile and non-volatile, on aspects related to toxicology and phytotherapy of Nigella damascena L. The genus Nigella (Ranunculaceae) is distributed throughout the Mediterranean basin, extending to northern India, and has been divided into three sections. Nigella damanscena L. is traditionally used as an ingredient in food, for example, as flavouring agents in bread and cheese, but is also known in folk medicine, used to regulate menstruation; for catarrhal affections and amenorrhea; as a diuretic and sternutatory; as an analgesic, anti-oedematous, and antipyretic; and for vermifuge and its disinfectant effects. This paper reviews the most dated to the latest scientific research on this species, highlighting the single isolated metabolites and exploring their biological activity. Fifty-seven natural compounds have been isolated and characterised from the seeds, roots, and aerial parts of the plant. Among these constituents, alkaloids, flavonoids, diterpenes, triterpenes, and aromatic compounds are the main constituents. The isolated compounds and the various extracts obtained with solvents of different polarities presented a diverse spectrum of biological activities such as antibacterial, antifungal, antitumour, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, anti-oedema, and antiviral activities. Various in vitro and in vivo tests have demonstrated the pharmacological potential of ß-elemene and alkaloid damascenin. Unfortunately, the largest number of biological studies on this species and its metabolites have been conducted in vitro; therefore, further investigation is necessary to evaluate the toxicological aspects and real mechanisms of action of crude extracts to confirm the therapeutic potential of N. damascena.

Protective Effect of Nigella sativa and Nigella damascena Fixed Oils Against Aflatoxin Induced Mutagenicity in the Classical and Modified Ames Test.

The antioxidant and mutagenic/antimutagenic activities of the fixed oils from Nigella sativa (NSO) and Nigella damascena (NDO) seeds, obtained by cold press-extraction from the cultivar samples, were comparatively investigated for the first time. The antimutagenicity test was carried out using classical and modified Ames tests. The fatty acid composition of the fixed oils was characterized by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) while the quantification of thymoquinone in the fixed oils was determined by UPC2 . The main components of the NSO and NDO were found to be linoleic acid, oleic acid, and palmitic acid. The results of the Ames test confirmed the safety of NSO and NDO from the viewpoint of mutagenicity. The results of the three antioxidant test methods were correlated with each other, indicating NDO as having a superior antioxidant activity, when compared to the NSO. Both NSO and NDO exhibited a significant protective effect against the mutagenicity induced by aflatoxin B1 in Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100 strains. When microsomal metabolism was terminated after metabolic activation of the mycotoxin, a significant increase in antimutagenic activity was observed, suggesting that the degradation of aflatoxin B1 epoxides by these oils may be a possible antimutagenic mechanism. It is worthy to note that this is the first study to assess the mutagenicity of NSO and NDO according to the OECD 471 guideline and to investigate antimutagenicity of NDO in comparison to NSO against aflatoxin.

Nigella damascena L. essential oil and its main constituents, damascenine and ß-elemene modulate inflammatory response of human neutrophils ex vivo.

Nigella damascena L belongs to Ranunculaceae family and is mentioned in Eastern traditional medicine for the treatment of high temperatures, regulation of menstruation or catarrhal affections. The anti-inflammatory activity of compounds present in the essential oil obtained from seeds of this plant can be found in literature, however no studies on immunomodulatory activity are provided. Hence, in this work anti-inflammatory activity of N. damascena seed essential oil as well as damascenine and main compound ß-elemene was evaluated on ex-vivo lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated human neutrophils. For isolation of damascenine fast and efficient protocol was elaborated using high performance countercurrent chromatography technique for the first time. Also detailed spectroscopic characteristic of damascenine was provided for the first time. Damascenine was separated from the essential oil in a mixture of petroleum ether/acetonitrile/acetone (2:1.5:0.5 v/v/v) in reversed phase mode in 12 min with 99.47% purity. Essential oil, damascenine and ß-elemene presented immunomodulatory activity evaluated in LPS-stimulated neutrophils ex vivo. All studied samples significantly inhibited release of interleukin 1 beta (IL-1ß) and interleukin 8 (IL-8). What is more, damascenine and ß-elemene decreased matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP-9) production similar to dexamethasone. The release of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) was also inhibited in all range of concentrations, however the activity was weaker then activity of dexametasone. The previously reported anti-inflammatory activity of damascenine and ß-elemene investigated in murine models was confirmed in our study on human neuthrophils suggesting their possible strong inhibitory effect on inflammatory response progression.

New diterpenes from Nigella damascena seeds and their antiviral activities against herpes simplex virus type-1.

Nigella species are rich source of dolabellane diterpenes. During our study of Nigella species, new dolabellane diterpenes, damasterpenes V-VIII were isolated. The structural determination of new compounds damasterpenes V-VIII is described with consideration of their absolute configurations. The antiviral activities against herpes simplex virus type-1 of the isolated compounds and their derivatives are also evaluated. Damasterpene V (inhibition 35.0%) and 2-phenylacetyl 13-benzoyl damasterpenol (32.0%) showed significant antiviral activity at 10 µM.

Comparative Studies on Polyphenolic Composition, Antioxidant and Diuretic Effects of Nigella sativa L. (Black Cumin) and Nigella damascena L. (Lady-in-a-Mist) Seeds.

This study was performed to evaluate the phenolic profile, antioxidant and diuretic effects of black cumin and lady-in-a-mist seeds. In the phenolic profile, differences between the two species are significant. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of the phenolic compounds were performed using a HPLC-UV/MS method. Hyperoside was the only identified flavonoid glycoside (1.08 ± 0.01 µg∙g-1 dw plant material), in the N. damascena extract. Regarding the flavonol profile, kaempferol was identified before the hydrolysis, only in the N. sativa extract (6.06 ± 0.02 µg∙g-1 dw plant material) and quercetin only in N. damascena seeds (14.35 ± 0.02 µg∙g-1 dw plant material). The antioxidant potential of the two species was tested through several electron transfer assays, which indicated, excepting for the FRAP assay, N. damascena as exhibiting a higher free radical scavenging activity. The diuretic activity of the two extracts was tested using a rat-experimental model on acute diuresis. Administration of the ethanolic extract of N. sativa (100 mg∙kg-1) resulted in a significant increase in urine volume, although less than found with the reference drug; in addition N. damascena extract did not present a diuretic effect. In reference to the elimination of Na+, K+ and uric acid, the black cumin extract exhibited a higher natriuretic than kaluretic effect and a similar uricosuric effect with control and N. damascena. For N. damascena, the Na+/K+ ratio was sub unitary, but not due to an increasing of the kaluretic effect, but mostly to a decrease of Na+ excretion.

[Anti-leishmaniasis activity of some extracts isolated from Nigella damascena (Ranunculaceae)]. / Actiunea antileishmaniazica a unor extracte obtinute din specia Nigella damascena (Ranunculaceae).

UNLABELLED: Nigella damascena L. (Ranunculaceae) originates from Magreb's countries (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt) and from the Middle Orient (Syria). In these countries the seeds are venerated by all the Muslim people and thus they are quoted in the Koran for their therapeutic effects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated the effects of different extracts isolated from Nigellae damascenae semen and Nigellae damascenae herba on three types of cells: THP1 cells (human monocytes which were used for evaluating the toxicity of the extracts) and two different forms of Leishmania infatum: promastigote cells and amastigote cells. RESULTS: Dichlormethanic extracts isolated from Nigellae damascenae semen and Nigellae damascenae herba were active on Leishmania promastigotes. CONCLUSIONS: Dichlormethanic extracts could be an alternative to the therapy based on pentamidine and amphotericin B.

Estrogenic activity of Nigella damascena extracts, evaluated using a recombinant yeast screen.

We used the yeast estrogen screen (YES) containing a human estrogen receptor to evaluate the estrogenic activity of extracts obtained from Nigella damascena seeds. Alcohol extracts obtained by direct extraction of seeds showed a low estrogenic activity, while the alcohol extract obtained after extraction with solvents of increasing polarity showed a strong estrogenic activity. This suggests the presence in Nigella of polar components whose activity can be clearly demonstrated after previous elimination of interacting apolar components that may mask the activity of more polar components. The response of both alcohol fractions follow a bell-shaped curve indicating a concentration-dependent relationship.