• Dr. CHANDRASHEKHAR VERMA

Its botanical name is Nigella sativa. It is believed to be indigenous to the Mediterranean region but has been cultivated into other parts of the world including the Arabian peninsula, northern Africa and parts of Asia.The Black seeds originate from the common fennel flower plant (Nigella sativa) of the buttercup (Ranunculaceae) family. It is sometimes mistakenly confused with the fennel herb plant. The Black Seed forms a fruit capsule which consists of many white trigonal seeds. Once the fruit capsule has matured, it opens up and the seeds contained within are exposed to the air, becoming black in color.The Black Seed is rich in nutritional values. It contain almost 40% fixed oils and 1.4% volatile oils. It also contains around fifteen amino acids, proteins, calcium, iron, sodium, and potassium. Among its most effective compositions are thymoquinone, dithymoquinone, thymohydroquinone, and thymol. The magazine Food Chemistry found the Black Seed to be high in protein, carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, vitamins A, B1, B2, C and niacin as well as calcium, potassium and iron. These are the very nutrients that modern science has found that we most lack. It also provides many of the same nutrients that the FDA recommends to help prevent disease and slow down the aging process It is very popular in various traditional systems of medicine like homeopathic. Seeds and oil have a long history of folklore usage in various systems of medicines and food. The seeds of N. sativa have been widely used in the treatment different types of diseases and ailments. it is considered as one of the greatest forms of healing medicine. It has been recommended for using on regular basis in Tibb-e-Nabwi (Prophetic Medicine). It has been widely used as antihypertensive, liver tonics, diuretics, digestive, anti-diarrheal, appetite stimulant, analgesics, anti-bacterial and in skin disorders. Extensive studies on N. sativa have been carried out by various researchers and a wide spectrum of its pharmacological actions have been explored which may include antidiabetic, anticancer, immunomodulator, analgesic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, spasmolytic, bronchodilator, hepato-protective, renal protective, gastro-protective, antioxidant properties, etc. Due to its miraculous power of healing, N. sativa has got the place among the top ranked evidence based herbal medicines. Cancer is one of the major threats of modern life, which is considered as the second cause of death after myocardial infarction. Millions of people die every year in different types of cancer despite tremendous efforts to find methods of control and cure. In the last century, great advances were made in modern homeopathic medical science to control disease. Many active ingredients have been found in the seeds of N. sativa. The seeds contain both fixed and essential oils, proteins, alkaloids and saponin Ghosheh (1999) described the quantification of four pharmacologically important components: thymoquinone (TQ), dithymoquinone (DTQ), thymohydroquinone (THQ), and thymol (THY), in the oil of N. sativa seed by HPLC. Much of the biological activities of the seeds have been shown to be due to thymoquinone, the major component of the essential oil, which is also present in the fixed oil .TQ is considered as potent anti-oxidant anti-carcinogenic and anti-mutagenic agent. Moreover, TQ is a relatively safe compound, particularly when given orally to experimental animals . Alpha (α)-hederin, a pentacyclic triterpene saponin.

Nigella sativa, Miracle herb, Ranunculaceae, Habat-ul-Sauda, Thymoquinone, Tibb-e-Nabwi, Black seeds, Anti-cancer, Antioxidant

"NIGELLA SATIVA MEDICINE FOR TREATMENT OF MALIGNANT GROWTH", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 2, page no.1058-1063, February-2018, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1802187.pdf

"NIGELLA SATIVA MEDICINE FOR TREATMENT OF MALIGNANT GROWTH", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 2, page no. pp1058-1063, February-2018, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1802187.pdf