Abstract
Nigella sativa (black cumin) seeds and its principal bioactive component, thymoquinone (TQ), have been used for centuries in folk medicine because of their exceptional healing power to a wide range of diseases. Nigella sativa plant has been regarded as nature’s miracle herb. The black cumin seeds have been used for the treatment of wide range of diseases including diabetes, infections, skin diseases, hypertension, cancer, asthma, gastric ulcers, liver diseases, etc. and are consumed regularly for the general well-being. The pharmacological properties possessed by TQ are anticancer, antidiabetic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, gastroprotective, immunomodulatory, cytoprotective, hepatoprotective activity, etc. The hepatoprotective activity of TQ has been studied extensively in many in vitro and in vivo studies. It has been found to be an excellent natural protective agent against hepatotoxicity induced by several chemicals and drug molecules and the liver injury and liver diseases in experimental animal models. The antioxidant capacity of TQ was found to play a major role in the hepatoprotection. Therefore, TQ is a potential natural remedy to protect the liver from many toxic agents and drugs and for the treatment of liver diseases.
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Laskar, A.A. (2018). Hepatoprotective Action of Thymoquinone. In: Younus, H. (eds) Molecular and Therapeutic actions of Thymoquinone. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8800-1_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8800-1_6
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