Cardiovascular benefits of black cumin (Nigella sativa).
Black Cumin (Nigella sativa), which belongs to the botanical family of Ranunculaceae, commonly grows in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Western Asia. Its ripe fruit contains tiny black seeds, known as "Al-Habba Al-Sauda" and "Al-Habba Al-Barakah" in Arabic and black seed or black cumin in English. Seeds of Nigella sativa are frequently used in folk medicine in the Middle East and some Asian countries for the promotion of good health and the treatment of many ailments. However, data for the cardiovascular benefits of black cumin are not well-established. We reviewed the literature from 1960 to March 2012 by using the following key words: "Nigella sativa," "black seeds," and "thymoquinone." Herein, we discussed the most relevant articles to find out the role of Nigella sativa in the cardiovascular diseases spectrum especially when there is a paucity of information and need of further studies in human to establish the utility of Nigella                         sativa in cardiovascular system protection.
Deparment of Cardiology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
Adel
A
Shabana
Ayman
A
El-Menyar
Mohammad
M
Asim
Hiba
H
Al-Azzeh
Hassan
H
Al Thani
D000818:Animals; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D031881:Nigella sativa; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D002317:Cardiovascular Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts