ABSTRACT
Nigella sativa L. (black seed or black cumin) belonging to the Ranunculaceae family is an annual flowering plant native to southwest Asia. It has been widely used in traditional medicinal systems and practices such as Siddha, Unani, Ayurveda, and folk medicine for its remarkable medicinal value in treating liver disorders and other illnesses. Especially, the seeds of N. sativa (NS) are rich in essential oils and other phytoconstituents which results in significant pharmacological activities such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antidiabetic hepatoprotective, immunomodulatory, and neuroprotective properties. Recent pieces of evidence report that the exploration of the phytoconstituents of N. sativa seeds will tremendously improve the significance of herbal and alternative medicine to the existing therapies. In this chapter, we have focused on the compilation of Nigella sativa oil’s (NSO) phytoconstituents, extraction and isolation strategies, various pharmacological activities, and their toxic properties. In addition, thymoquinone was discussed in detail for its significant medicinal properties. Furthermore, we have also discussed the commercially available Nigella sativa L. products and their manufacturers with market value. Exploration of NSO will lead to the identification of valuable pharmaceutically important compounds in near future.
