Background: For thousands of years till nowadays, Nigella sativa (NS) has served as a common spice and food preservative. Its seed extracts, seed oil, and essential oil in traditional medicine have been used to remedy many ailments such as headaches, fever, gastric complaints, and even rheumatism. In addition, the antibacterial, virucidal, fungicidal, and antiparasitic properties of NS are well known. However, studies on the possible immunomodulatory effects of black cumin are relatively scarce. This article discusses in vitro and in vivo research supporting the immunomodulatory role of NS.
Methods: The review is based on articles, books, and conference papers printed until September 2022, found in the Web of Science, PubMed, Wiley Online Library, and Google Scholar databases.
Results: Experimental findings were reported concerning the ability of NS to modulate inflammation and immune responses or cytotoxic activity.
Conclusions: All results suggest that NS can potentially be employed in developing effective therapeutic agents for regulating immune reactions.
Keywords: Nigella sativa; antioxidant; essential oil; immunomodulation.