Traditional and modern usage of Nigella sativa L. (Black cumin)
Prairna Balyan, Jamal Akhter, Pawan Kumar, Ahmad Ali
Abstract
Since ancient times, herbs have been used as natural treatments and form the foundation of the Indian medical system.Most of the world's population relies on herbal therapy for health-related issues.Nigella sativa L., commonly referred to as black cumin, has been widely used as a remedy for many ailments.Seeds and oil of black cumin are used in food as well as medicine and have a long tradition of folklore applications in Indian traditional medicine systems (Unani and Ayurveda), Chinese medicine, Malay medicine, Arabic, and Islamic medicine.It consists of several bioactive substances, including carvacrol, thymoquinone, p-cymene, thymol, thymohydroquinone, dithymoquinone, 4-terpineol, t-anethole, sesquiterpene longifolene, and a-pinene.Among them, TQ plays a crucial role in the treatment of various diseases.Comprehensive research on the N. sativa plant suggests various biological activities, including antibacterial, bronchodilator,