title: Elucidation of mechanisms of actions of thymoquinone-enriched methanolic and volatile oil extracts from Nigella sativa against cardiovascular risk parameters in experimental hyperlipidemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nigella sativa belonging to the Ranunculaceae family has been reported to use for thousands of years as protective and curative traditional medicine against a number of diseases. GC-MS analysis of methanolic extract (ME) and volatile oil (VO) extracted from Nigella sativa seed oil was performed by two different mass spectrometry libraries, WIlEY8 and NIST05s. The cholesterol lowering and antioxidant actions of VO and ME fractions were investigated in atherogenic suspension fed rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, four groups of male Wistar rats were used: normolipidemic control (NLP-C), hyperlipidemic control (HLP-C), methanolic extract (HLP-ME) and volatile oil treated (HLP-VO) groups for 30 days of duration. P value < 0.05 was assumed as significant data in groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Administration of atherogenic suspension to male Wistar rats for 30 days resulted in a marked increase of plasma triglycerides and total cholesterol, and significant change in plasma lipoprotein levels along with a decrease in antioxidant arylesterase activity in hyperlipidemic control (HLP-C) group. The oral feeding of 100 mg ME or 20 mg VO per rat/day effectively reduced the plasma triglycerides to near normal level, while high density lipoprotein cholesterol and its subfraction along with arylesterase activity levels were significantly increased. The test fractions elicited a significant decrease in hepatic HMG-CoA reductase activity. The fractions significantly blocked the ex vivo basal and in vitro maximal formation of conjugated diene and malondialdehyde, and lengthened the lag times of low density lipoprotein, small dense low density lipoprotein and large buoyant low density lipoprotein. ME possessing ω-6 linoleic acid along with palmitic acid active compounds was more effective than VO extract containing thymol and isothymol phenolic antioxidant compounds, thymoquinone phenolic compound common to the both extracts, via reduction in hepatic HMG-CoA reductase activity as well as antioxidant mechanisms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The both extracts especially, ME significantly improve cardiovascular risk parameters in treated rats, and can be used in reactive oxygen species disorders such as cardiovascular diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Jawahar Lal Nehru Medical College, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, UP 202 002, India. azamshafeeque1@gmail.com
authors.forename: Shafeeque
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: Zafarul H
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Beg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D031881:Nigella sativa / Q000737:chemistry; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000008:administration & dosage; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010936:Plant Extracts; D010938:Plant Oils; D002784:Cholesterol