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Arabic: Habba Souda, Habbat al-Barakah;
Other English: Fennel Flower, Black Cumin Nigella sativa; Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family)

Native to the Mediterranean and grown throughout the Middle East and parts of Asia, Nigella sativa is cultivated for its seeds, which are known as the “seeds of blessing.” For the Arabs, black seed is not only a food but also a valued traditional medicine that has long been used to treat such ailments as asthma, flatulence, polio, kidney stones, abdominal pain and so on. It has served as an important health and beauty aid for thousands of years.

According to tradition, the Prophet Muhammad described black seed as a cure for every disease except death. The great physician Ibn Sina (980–1037), better known as Avicenna, stated that black seed works as an expectorant, stimulates the body’s energy and helps overcome fatigue and dispiritedness.

How to use: 1) Eat black seeds plain; 2) Eat a teaspoon of black seed mixed with honey; 3) Boil black seed with water. Strain and drink; 4) Heat black seed and warm milk until it just begins to boil. Remove from heat. Cool, then drink; 5) Grind black seed and swallow it with water or milk; 6) Sprinkle on bread and pastries; 7) Burn black seed with bukhoor (incense) for a pleasant scent.

In the kitchen: Black seed is aromatic with a slight peppery flavor. It is one of the distinct flavors of Arab pastries. It is often sprinkled on breads and cheese. It is heated with milk for flavor. It is eaten ground with honey or with cakes and pastries.

Remedies across Arabia: In Arabia, black seed remains a traditional remedy for asthma, coughs, stomach aches, abdominal pain, colic, general fatigue, rheumatism, mouth and larynx diseases, skin diseases and cancer. It is also believed to strengthen a mother after childbirth; stimulate menstruation, urination and liver functions; aid digestion; dissolve kidney stones; and increase intelligence. Black seed is used to beautify skin, nourish hair and stimulate hair growth.

Chemical composition of seed essential oils from Algerian Nigella sativa extracted by microwave and hydrodistillation

Extraction of essential oil from Nigella sativa seed collected at two locations in the Sahara desert, Timimoun (T) and Adrar (A), has been conducted by hydrodistillation (HD) and a microwave distillation process (MD). The composition of the volatile oil was investigated by capillary gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Using the hydrodistillation, active compounds such as:

p-cymene (8.9 and 7.2% in T and A, respectively),

4-terpineol (0.6-8.9%),

thymohydroquinone (6.1-12.2%),

thymoquinone (1.6-21.8%),

carvacrol (12.9-12.9%),

carvone (4.4-0.3%)

and thymol (1.5-0.7%) were the major components,

representing more than 36% (T) and 64% (A) of the oils.

For the microwave distillation,

p-cymene (28.1% and 32.0% in T and A, respectively),

4-terpineol (3.4-2.0%),

thymohydroquinone (0.7-1.1%),

thymoquinone (10.8-24.6%),

carvacrol (3.0-6.0%),

and thymol (0.3-0.3%) represent respectively 46.1% and 66.0% of the T and A oils.

Research Article
1) Department of Veterinary Medicine, King Saud University, Buraydah, Al Gaseem 81999, Saudi Arabia.

The seeds of Nigella sativa Linn. (Ranunculaceae), commonly known as black seed or black cumin, are used in folk (herbal) medicine all over the world for the treatment and prevention of a number of diseases and conditions that include asthma, diarrhoea and dyslipidaemia. This article reviews the main reports of the pharmacological and toxicological properties of N. sativa and its constituents. The seeds contain both fixed and essential oils, proteins, alkaloids and saponin. Much of the biological activity of the seeds has been shown to be due to thymoquinone, the major component of the essential oil, but which is also present in the fi ed oil. The pharmacological actions of the crude extracts of the seeds (and some of its active constituents, e.g. volatile oil and thymoquinone) that have been reported include protection against nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity induced by either disease or chemicals. The seeds/oil have antiinflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic, antimicrobial and antineoplastic activity. The oil decreases blood pressure and increases respiration. Treatment of rats with the seed extract for up to 12 weeks has been reported to induce changes in the haemogram that include an increase in both the packed cell volume (PCV) and haemoglobin (Hb), and a decrease in plasma concentrations of cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose. The seeds are characterized by a very low degree of toxicity. Two cases of contact dermatitis in two individuals have been reported following topical use. Administration of either the seed extract or its oil has been shown not to induce significant adverse effects on liver or kidney functions. It would appear that the beneficial effects of the use of the seeds and thymoquinone might be related to their cytoprotective and antioxidant actions, and to their effect on some mediators of inflammation. Copyright 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Abstract

3) Antibacterial effect of black seed oil on Listeria monocytogenes

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