Nigella Sativa L

Abstract

Nigella sativa (also known as black seed) has recently become popular for its many effects and is among the most demanded herbs. Nigella sativa seeds, which are among the herbs used for medicinal purposes, are used in traditional medicine in Asia, Far East, and Middle East countries for purposes such as headache, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, asthma, cough, and rheumatism. The anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anticancer, antitumoural, antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, immunological, antidiabetic, antihistaminic, antisestodal, and hepatoprotective effects of the plant’s seed have been determined through in vitro and in vivo biological activity studies conducted for about 30 years. Various pharmacological effects of the plant, which is generally used as a spice to decorate and flavour donuts in our country, have also been discovered in recent years, supported by experimental data. In this section, studies on the botanical characteristics, chemical content, and biological activity of N. sativa have been compiled. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.