An Update On Antimicrobial Effects Of Nigella Sativa And Experience At King Faisal University, Damma
Auther:Muhammad Akram Randhawa
page: 37-44
Nigella stiva (N. Sativa), one of the Ranunculaceae, commonly grows as a small shrub in Middle East, Middle Asia and neighboring countries. Since ancient times it is used as a folk medicine for the treatment of many ailments and as a flavoring agent in food. Many of the traditional uses of N. sativa have been confirmed via modern scientific techniques, such as analgesic, anti-inflammatory, immune stimulation, anti-cancer and anti-oxidant, etc. Antibacterial activity of N. sativa extracts and its active principles has also been investigated, and reported to be effective against many gram positive and gram negative bacteria, including resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeroginosa. Similarly, antifungal activity has been reported against Candida albicans and dermatophytes isolated from animal infections. Moreover, N. sativa oil inhibited the virus titer in spleen and liver of mice infected with murine cytomegalovirus. Recently, some studies have been conducted at King Faisal University, Dammam to explore further the antifungal activities of N. sativa, considering the increasing occurrence of fungal infections and scarcity of effective remedies against them. The ether extract of N. sativa and its active principle, thymoquinone, were found to inhibit clinical isolates of eight strains of three important genera of dermatophytes: Trichophyton, Epidermophyton and Microsporum, with an MIC of 0.125 - 0.25 mg/ml for thymoquinone and 10 - 40 mg/ml for ether extract of N. sativa. Similarly, thymoquinone was shown to inhibit three opportunistic fungi: Aspergillus, Fusarium  and Scopulariopsis species, with an MIC of 0.1 - 1.0 mg/ml. We suggest N. sativa and its active principles as potential sources for the development of new antifungal drug.

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