<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p><italic>Nigella sativa</italic> (commonly known as black seed or black cumin), from the family Ranunculaceae, is a plant that grows in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. This narrative review discusses the toxicological profile reported by short- to long-term studies that examined different extracts and oils of <italic>N. sativa</italic> seeds. Scientific databases including Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched using appropriate keywords. LD<sub><bold>50</bold></sub> for administered <italic>N. sativa</italic> seed fixed oil varied from 28.8 mL/kg to 3,371 mg/kg in mice, while 21 g/kg of aqueous, methanol, and chloroform extracts of <italic>N. sativa</italic> did not lead to any mortality. Subacute toxicity evaluations indicated that aqueous, methanol, and chloroform extracts of <italic>N. sativa</italic> at doses as high as 6 g/kg do not produce toxicity. Investigation of chronic toxicity found that 2 mL/kg of <italic>N. sativa</italic> fixed oil is slightly toxic. Cytotoxicity studies indicated that <italic>N. sativa</italic> chloroform and petroleum ether extracts are more cytotoxic than its other extracts. Although studies that assessed <italic>N. sativa</italic> toxicity generally introduced it as a safe medicinal herb, to draw a more definitive conclusion on its safety, more detailed studies must be conducted.</p></abstract>

Nigella sativa (commonly known as black seed or black cumin), from the family Ranunculaceae, is a plant that grows in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. This narrative review discusses the toxicological profile reported by short- to long-term studies that examined different extracts and oils of N. sativa seeds. Scientific databases including Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched using appropriate keywords. LD50 for administered N. sativa seed fixed oil varied from 28.8 mL/kg to 3,371 mg/kg in mice, while 21 g/kg of aqueous, methanol, and chloroform extracts of N. sativa did not lead to any mortality. Subacute toxicity evaluations indicated that aqueous, methanol, and chloroform extracts of N. sativa at doses as high as 6 g/kg do not produce toxicity. Investigation of chronic toxicity found that 2 mL/kg of N. sativa fixed oil is slightly toxic. Cytotoxicity studies indicated that N. sativa chloroform and petroleum ether extracts are more cytotoxic than its other extracts. Although studies that assessed N. sativa toxicity generally introduced it as a safe medicinal herb, to draw a more definitive conclusion on its safety, more detailed studies must be conducted.

<italic>Nigella sativa</italic> (black seed) safety: an overview

Department of Pharmacodynamics and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy

Clinical Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine

Pharmaceutical Research Center, Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology

Asian Biomedicine

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

{"article-title":{"italic":"Nigella sativa","content":"(black seed) safety: an overview"}}

Nigella sativa (commonly known as black seed or black cumin), from the family Ranunculaceae, is a plant that grows in countries bordering the Mediterranean...

Nigella sativa (black seed) safety: an overview

Article Category: Review

Published Online: Sep 20, 2020

Page range: 127 - 137

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/abm-2020-0020

Keywords
alpha-hederin, carvacrol, 4-cymene, triterpenoid saponin, thymoquinone

© 2020 Habibeh Mashayekhi-Sardoo et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Nigella sativa (black seed) safety: an overview

Article Category: Review

Published Online: Sep 20, 2020

Page range: 127 - 137

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/abm-2020-0020

Keywordsalpha-hederin, carvacrol, 4-cymene, triterpenoid saponin, thymoquinone

© 2020 Habibeh Mashayekhi-Sardoo et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
alpha-hederin, carvacrol, 4-cymene, triterpenoid saponin, thymoquinone