Correction: Prophetic Medicine-Nigella Sativa (Black Cumin Seeds) - Potential Herb for COVID-19?

Herbal Medicine on Response Immune Patient with COVID-19 Infection a Scoping Review

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 has spread through the world and has caused a global pandemic. There is a lot of evidence that taking herbal medicines could increase the immune response but otherwise, the relation of herbal medicine and inflammation factors that lead to cytokine storm is still discussing. AIM: The purpose of this article is to review the evidence of herbal medicine that use in COVID-19 patients and the effect on the immune response of patients with COVID-19 infection. METHOD: We conducted a scoping review on the PubMed and Science Direct databases from January 1 to July 2020 using searching terms “COVID-19”, “SARS-CoV2 Infection”, “Herbal Medicine” AND “Immune Response” Or “Humoral Immune, Response”. We use only scientific articles that discuss herbal medicine and its effect on the immune response. There were eight articles included in the analysis, many types of herbal medicines are used to maintain symptom management and to enhance the patient’s immune response, including, Echinacea, QPD (qingfei paidu) and Western medicine, Jiedu Capsule (SFJDC), Yidu-toxicity blocking lung decoction and Ayush Kwath, nagella sative, and LHQW. RESULTS: This article concludes that several alternative herbal medicines affect the immune response in COVID-19 patients, especially in reducing inflammatory agents, cytokine levels, and immunomodulators. Echinacea, Jiedu Capsule (SFJD), QPD (qingfei paidu) and Western medicine, and Ayush Kwath, nagella sative, and Lianhuaqingwen (LHQW) are the alternative herbal medicines that could provide benefits for COVID-19 patients, although research on the target mechanism must need more exploration.

Antidiabetic Activity of Nigella Sativa (Black Seeds) and Its Active Constituent (Thymoquinone): A Review of Human and Experimental Animal Studies

The use of herbal medicine to manage chronic conditions including diabetes has become a recent global trend. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by hyperglycemia. The present review is aimed to analyze the antidiabetic activity of N. sativa as many type 2 diabetic patients use it as a complementary therapy along with their modern allopathic medications or as an alternative therapy. The literature was reviewed in databases like Medline/PubMed Central/PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, EBSCO, Scopus, Web of science, EMBASE, Directory of open access journals (DOAJ), and reference lists to identify relevant articles supporting the use of N. sativa in diabetes management. Numerous clinical and animal studies have demonstrated the antidiabetic efficacy of black seeds (N. sativa) and its major bioactive constituent thymoquinone. Based on these findings patients with diabetes may use N. sativa as an adjuvant therapy, which may help to reduce the dose and incidence of adverse effects of modern antidiabetic medicines.

The role of thymoquinone, a major constituent of Nigella sativa, in the treatment of inflammatory and infectious diseases

Nigella sativa (N. sativa) is an annual flowering plant that has been used as a traditional remedy for many centuries. The seed possesses a large variety of compounds with thymoquinone (TQ) considered its major but not sole bioactive constituent. Supercritical fluid extraction, geographical location, and oxidative status of N. sativa produces the highest yield of essential oil content including TQ. Thymoquinone is lipophilic, heat and light sensitive with low oral bioavailability and rapid elimination that have significantly inhibited its pharmacological development. Novel developments in nanoparticulate-based oral administration, nasal spray and transdermal delivery may allow the clinical development of N. sativa and TQ as therapeutic agents. Animal and human studies indicate a potential role of N. sativa seed oil and TQ for a diverse range of disease processes including hypertension, dyslipidaemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, arthritis, asthma, bacterial and viral infections, neurological and dermatological disorders, as it belongs to the group of pan-assay interference compounds. This review outlines the pharmacological properties of N. sativa and TQ and their potential wide application for a large variety of human diseases. The paper will focus on recent studies of the anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties that make N. sativa and TQ promising therapeutic agents targeting contemporary inflammatory and infectious diseases including Covid 19.

Effects of Nigella sativa on Performance, Blood Profiles, and Antibody Titer against Newcastle Disease in Broilers

Recent anxiety about resistance to chemical drugs has elevated the position of phytogenic feed additives including Nigella sativa in preventive strategy in the poultry industry. During this study, a completely randomized experiment was designed to investigate the efficacy of different levels (0 to 16%) of N. sativa seeds supplemented in the diet of broilers on performance, immune responses, and hematological and biochemical parameters. The results indicated the following: (a) Supplementation of 1% N. sativa seeds in diet had the highest positive effects and 16% N. sativa had the highest significant (p=0.03) adverse effects on weight gain, while up to 2% N. sativa seeds in the diet reduced feed conversion ratio (FCR) whereas 4% and over that increased the FCR. (b) Chickens fed with a diet containing 1% N. sativa seeds had the highest antibody titers, but those fed with 16% N. sativa seeds had the lowest antibody titers at end of the experiment. (c) Dietary inclusion of N. sativa seeds increased hemogram parameters and the group fed with 16% N. sativa seeds had the highest values on day 21 until the end of the experiment. (d) Supplementation of N. sativa seeds decreased in WBC and lymphocytes but increased heterophils, H/L, monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils percentages. Supplementation of up to 2% of N. sativa seeds in broiler's diets elaborated serum level of those parameters, while supplementation of ≥ 4% N. sativa seeds decreased their serum levels. In conclusion, supplementation of N. sativa seed (1-2%) in broiler diets, as a multipurpose natural growth promoter, improves performance, elevates humoral immune responses, affects serum biochemical profiles of broiler chickens, and induces changes in their hemogram and leukogram, while there are no side, residual, and hazardous effects.

Black Cumin (Nigella sativa L.): A Comprehensive Review on Phytochemistry, Health Benefits, Molecular Pharmacology, and Safety

Mounting evidence support the potential benefits of functional foods or nutraceuticals for human health and diseases. Black cumin (Nigella sativa L.), a highly valued nutraceutical herb with a wide array of health benefits, has attracted growing interest from health-conscious individuals, the scientific community, and pharmaceutical industries. The pleiotropic pharmacological effects of black cumin, and its main bioactive component thymoquinone (TQ), have been manifested by their ability to attenuate oxidative stress and inflammation, and to promote immunity, cell survival, and energy metabolism, which underlie diverse health benefits, including protection against metabolic, cardiovascular, digestive, hepatic, renal, respiratory, reproductive, and neurological disorders, cancer, and so on. Furthermore, black cumin acts as an antidote, mitigating various toxicities and drug-induced side effects. Despite significant advances in pharmacological benefits, this miracle herb and its active components are still far from their clinical application. This review begins with highlighting the research trends in black cumin and revisiting phytochemical profiles. Subsequently, pharmacological attributes and health benefits of black cumin and TQ are critically reviewed. We overview molecular pharmacology to gain insight into the underlying mechanism of health benefits. Issues related to pharmacokinetic herb-drug interactions, drug delivery, and safety are also addressed. Identifying knowledge gaps, our current effort will direct future research to advance potential applications of black cumin and TQ in health and diseases.

The Commonly Utilized Natural Products during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Online Survey

Objectives: The utilization rate of herbal and dietary supplements among the Saudi population is reported to be high. However, the utilization rate and types of herbal and dietary supplements during the COVID-19 pandemic are largely unknown. Methods: This was an online questionnaire-based cross-sectional study that used convenience sampling and social media platforms (Telegram^®, Twitter^®, and WhatsApp^®) to disseminate a 12-item questionnaire across the Saudi general public aged 18 years and above. The questionnaire inquired about the sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., age, gender, education, geographical location), presence of chronic health conditions and the use of prescription medications, awareness of the viral nature of COVID-19 infection and its common symptoms, and the commonly utilized herbal and/or dietary supplements. Results: Sixty-four percent of the 1473 participants reported using herbal and/or dietary supplements for the purpose of boosting their immune system to prevent COVID-19 infection. In addition, 88.2% of the respondents were misinformed about the manifestation of COVID-19 symptoms. Most of the participants were Saudi (91.9%), aged 49 years and younger (83%), female (52%), and healthy (81%). Honey (46%), lemon (45%), ginger (36%), vitamin C (32%), black seed (26%), garlic (26%), and turmeric (19%) were the most commonly used herbal and/or dietary supplements by the participants. Saudi nationals (OR = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.08 to 2.6, p = 0.02), older adults (OR = 1.30, 95% CI:1.10 to 1.55, p = 0.002), and those taking prescription medications had higher odds of using dietary and/or herbal supplements (OR = 3.31, 95% CI: 2.61 to 4.18, p < 0.0001). Conclusion: The utilization rate of herbal and dietary supplements among the Saudi public during the COVID-19 pandemic is high. Future studies should examine the impact of different public awareness campaigns aimed at improving the public knowledge of the risk and benefits associated with the use of different commonly utilized herbal and dietary products identified in this study.

Nigella sativa and Thymoquinone: A Natural Blessing for Periodontal Therapy

Thymoquinone (TQ), the chief active constituent of Nigella sativa (NS), shows very valuable biomedical properties such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, hypoglycemic, antiparasitic and anti-asthmatic effects. Several studies have examined the pharmacological actions of TQ in the treatment of oral diseases but its potential role in periodontal therapy and regeneration is not yet fully defined. The present investigation has been designed to review the scientific studies about the effects of TQ as an adjunct to periodontal treatment to promote healing and periodontal regeneration. Along with clinical experiments, in vitro studies exhibit the beneficial effects of TQ during periodontal therapy. Nevertheless, additional comprehensive clinical and preclinical studies at cellular and molecular levels are essential to examine the particular action mechanisms of Nigella sativa and its elements, particularly TQ, during periodontal treatment or regeneration.