ESSENTIAL OIL AND LIPIDS OF NIGELLA SATIVA SEED AND THEIR BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY

Karawya, Mohamed; Hashim, Fayek; Abd El-Wahab, Samia; EI-Deeb, Kadriya; Soliman, Suzan; Salam, Ibrahim; Mokhtar, Nadia; El-Hossiny, Somaya

doi:10.21608/zjps.1994.186443

ESSENTIAL OIL AND LIPIDS OF NIGELLA SATIVA SEED AND THEIR BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Pharmacognosy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

² Cancer Pathology Department, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

³ Histopathology Department, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

10.21608/zjps.1994.186443

Abstract

The essential oil as well as the expressed oil of Nigella sativa L. seeds, were subjected to qualitative and quantitative studies employing different chromatographic techniques. Thymoquinone (ca 30%), p-cymene (ca 38%) and a-pinene (ca 14%) constituted the main make up of the essential oil. GLC revealed that the lipid portion of the expressed oil iss built-up mostly of stearic (ca 47%) and arachidic (ca 32%) acids beside lesser amounts of palmitic (ca 7%) and myristic (ca 4%) acids. a-amyrin, B-sitosterol and oleanolic acid were isolated from the unsaponifiable matter of the lipid portion. The expressed oil showed significant antimicrobial and antifungal activities. It could normalized the enzymatic disturbance in the liver tissue, previously produced by exposure to ionizing radiation. This radioprotective effect was supported by the morphological changes of liver tissues. The intestine showed minimal changes and no evidence of protection was observed for the kidneys.