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Volume 5, Issue 2 (Suppl) J Tradi Med Clin Natur
ISSN: JTMCN, an open access journal
Page 55
Notes:
Traditional Medicine 2016
September 14-16, 2016
conferenceseries.com
September 14-16, 2016 Amsterdam, Netherlands
6th International Conference and Exhibition on
Traditional & Alternative Medicine
Neuropsychiatric effects of Nigella sativa (Black seed)
Mohammad A Randhawa and Shehab A Alenazi
Northern Border University, Saudi Arabia
Nigella sativa (N. sativa) seed, commonly known as ‘Black Seed’ in English and ‘Al-Habba Al-Sauda’in Arabic, has been
frequently used as a folk medicine for a large number of diseases since ancient times. N. sativa was shown to contain many
active components, e.g., thymoquinone, thymohydroquinone, dithymoquinone, thymol, carvacrol, nigellimine-N-oxide, nigellicine,
nigellidine and alpha-hederin. In addition, N. sativa seed, its oil, various extracts and active components are known to possess
very useful pharmacological effects to include: immune stimulation, antiinflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, hypoglycemic,
antihypertensive, antiasthmatic, antimicrobial, antiparasitic; and effects on neurological and psychiatric disorders. Some authors have
reviewed these pharmacological activities in general but their neuropsychiatric effects are not separately and adequately described.
The literature search has revealed a lot of publications pertaining to the actions of N. sativa in neurological and psychiatric problems,
e.g., the control of pain, Parkinsonism, epilepsy and anxiety, as well as improvement of memory, alertness, elevation of mood and
feeling of good health, etc. Moreover, because of its antioxidant and antiinflammatory effects was shown to provide neuroprotection
from spinal cord injury and prevent damage to brain cells from various nerve toxins in experimental animal models. The present
article is intended to briefly review the valuable efforts of scientists to investigate the pharmacological activities and therapeutic
potential of this precious natural herb pertaining to the neuropsychiatric disorders. It is hoped that our manuscript would be of
particular interest to the neurologists and psychiatrists, and the information provided would also benefit general physicians, medical
students and the community.
Biography
Mohammad A Randhawa graduated from King Edward Medical College Lahore in 1973, completed his Master of Philosophy from University of Punjab Lahore and
obtained PhD from Quaid-e-Azam University Islamabad. He also got his Post-graduate fellowship from Clinical Pharmacology Unit of St. Bartholomews Hospital
London, UK. Currently, he is appointed as Professor and Head of Department of Pharmacology at the College of Medicine, Northern Border University, Arar, Saudi
Arabia. He has published more than 40 research articles in reputed scientific journals and has reviewed numerous research projects and manuscripts related to
Nigella sativa (Black seed).
Mohammad A Randhawa et al., J Tradi Med Clin Natur 2016, 5:2 (Suppl)