Dr. Weeks’ Comment: Black cumin seed has been studied and found to be a very helpful anti-seizure food.
Med Sci Monit. 2007 Dec;13(12):CR555-9.
The effect of Nigella sativa L. (black cumin seed) on intractable pediatric seizures
Javad Akhondian 1, Ali Parsa, Hassan Rakhshande
Abstract
Background: Despite the availability and use of numerous antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), nearly 15% of childhood epilepsy cases are resistant to treatment. However, in traditional medicine, Nigella Sativa L. (“black cumin seed”) has been known for its anticonvulsant effects. This plant is naturally distributed in Iran and has been widely used as a natural remedy for a long time. In this study the efficacy of this agent in reducing the frequency of seizures in childhood refractory epilepsy was assessed.
Material/methods: In this double-blinded crossover clinical trial conducted on children with refractory epilepsy, the aqueous extract of black seed was administered as an adjunct therapy and the effects were compared with those of a placebo. Twenty-three children were entered in the study and 20 remained in the study (13 months to 13 years old, 10 boys and 10 girls). All patients were receiving constant treatment for at least one month before the study. They received extract (40 mg/kg/8 h) or placebo for a period of four weeks and between these periods for two weeks they received only their pre-existing anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs).
Results: The mean frequency of seizures decreased significantly during treatment with extract (p<0.05).
Conclusions: It can be concluded that the water extract of Nigella sativa L. has antiepileptic effects in children with refractory seizures.
AND
Med Sci Monit. 2007 Dec;13(12):CR555-9.
The effect of Nigella sativa L. (black cumin seed) on intractable pediatric seizures
Javad Akhondian 1, Ali Parsa, Hassan RakhshandeAffiliations expand
Abstract
Background: Despite the availability and use of numerous antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), nearly 15% of childhood epilepsy cases are resistant to treatment. However, in traditional medicine, Nigella Sativa L. (“black cumin seed”) has been known for its anticonvulsant effects. This plant is naturally distributed in Iran and has been widely used as a natural remedy for a long time. In this study the efficacy of this agent in reducing the frequency of seizures in childhood refractory epilepsy was assessed.
Results: The mean frequency of seizures decreased significantly during treatment with extract (p<0.05).
Conclusions: It can be concluded that the water extract of Nigella sativa L. has antiepileptic effects in children with refractory seizures.
AND
Neurochem res. 2016 Dec;41(12):3386-3398. doi: 10.1007/s11064-016-2073-z. Epub 2016 Oct 18.
Nigella sativa Oil Reduces Extrapyramidal Symptoms (EPS)-Like Behavior in Haloperidol-Treated Rats
Tafheem Malik 1 2 3, Sheema Hasan 4, Shahid Pervez 4, Tasneem Fatima 5, Darakhshan Jabeen Haleem 6 7Affiliations expand
- PMID: 27752803
- DOI: 10.1007/s11064-016-2073-z
Abstract
The symptoms of Parkinsonism and oral dyskinesia have been showing to be induced by neuroleptics that significantly affect its clinical use. In this study, we investigate whether Nigella sativa-oil (NS) (black cumin seeds)-a traditional medicine used for the seizure treatment in eastern country-may reduce the haloperidol (HAL)-induced extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS)-like behavior in rats. After combine treatment with HAL (1 mg/kg) on NS (0.2 ml/rat), rats displayed a significant decreased EPS-like behavior including movement disorders and oral dyskinesia as compared to controls. Immunohistochemical analysis indicates that NS reduced astrogliosis in caudate and accumbens nuclei. These results suggest that NS may consider as an adjunct to antipsychotics to reduce the EPS-like side effect.
AND
Yransl Neurosci. 2017 Mar 25;8:9-14. doi: 10.1515/tnsci-2017-0003. eCollection 2017 Jan.
Thymoquinone Attenuates Brain Injury via an Anti-oxidative Pathway in a Status Epilepticus Rat Model
Yi-Ye Shao 1, Bing Li 2, Yong-Mei Huang 1, Qiong Luo 1, Yang-Mei Xie 1, Ying-Hui Chen 1Affiliations expand
Abstract
Aim: Status epilepticus (SE) results in the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which contribute to seizure-induced brain injury. It is well known that oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in status epilepticus (SE). Thymoquinone (TQ) is a bioactive monomer extracted from black cumin (Nigella sativa) seed oil that has anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and antioxidant activity in various diseases. This study evaluated the protective effects of TQ on brain injury in a lithium-pilocarpine rat model of SE and investigated the underlying mechanism related to antioxidative pathway.
Methods: Electroencephalogram and Racine scale were used to value seizure severity. Passive-avoidance test was used to determine learning and memory function. Moreover, anti-oxidative activity of TQ was observed using Western blot and super oxide dismutase (SOD) activity assay.
Results: Latency to SE increased in the TQ-pretreated group compared with rats in the model group, while the total power was significantly lower. Seizure severity measured on the Racine scale was significantly lower in the TQ group compared with the model group. Results of behavioral experiments suggest that TQ may also have a protective effect on learning and memory function. Investigation of the protective mechanism of TQ showed that TQ-pretreatment significantly increased the expression of Nrf2, HO-1 proteins and SOD in the hippocampus.
Conclusion: These findings showed that TQ attenuated brain injury induced by SE via an anti-oxidative pathway.
Phytomedicine . 2004 Jan;11(1):56-64. doi: 10.1078/0944-7113-00376.
Anticonvulsant effects of thymoquinone, the major constituent of Nigella sativa seeds, in mice
H Hosseinzadeh 1, S ParvardehAffiliations expand
- PMID: 14971722
- DOI: 10.1078/0944-7113-00376
Abstract
The anticonvulsant effects of thymoquinone, the major constituent of Nigella sativa seeds, were investigated using pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)- and maximal electroshock (MES)-induced seizure models. We also studied the effect of thymoquinone on pentobarbital-induced hypnosis, locomotor activity, and motor coordination. In PTZ-induced seizure, the intraperitoneally injection of thymoquinone with doses of 40 and 80 mg/kg, prolonged the onset of seizures and reduced the duration of myoclonic seizures. The protective effect of thymoquinone against mortality was 71.4% and 100% in the mentioned doses, respectively. In MES model, thymoquinone failed to reduce the duration of seizure, whereas exhibited a complete protection against mortality. In PTZ model, flumazenil (10 mg/kg, i.p.), an antagonist of benzodiazepine (BZD) site in the GABAA-BZD receptor complex, inhibited the prolongation of seizure latency, but did not show any effect on the duration of myoclonic seizures. Also, pretreatment with naloxone (0.1 and 03 mg/kg, i.p.) inhibited the prolongation of myoclonic seizure latency and antagonized the reduction of myoclonic seizure duration induced by thymoquinone (40 and 80 mg/kg) in the PTZ model. Moreover, thymoquinone (40 and 80 mg/kg) did not have any hypnosis effect in the pentobarbital-induced hypnosis, but impaired the motor coordination and reduced the locomotor activity. These results indicate that thymoquinone may have anticonvulsant activity in the petit mal epilepsy probably through an opioid receptor-mediated increase in GABAergic tone.
Molecules. 2021 Mar 13;26(6):1592. doi: 10.3390/molecules26061592.
Neuroprotective Effects of Thymoquinone by the Modulation of ER Stress and Apoptotic Pathway in In Vitro Model of Excitotoxicity
Elisa Landucci 1, Costanza Mazzantini 1, Daniela Buonvicino 1, Domenico E Pellegrini-Giampietro 1, Maria Camilla Bergonzi 2Affiliations expand
- PMID: 33805696
- PMCID: PMC7998420
- DOI: 10.3390/molecules26061592
Free PMC article
Abstract
Experimental evidence indicates that the activation of ionotropic glutamate receptors plays an important role in neurological disorders’ models such as epilepsy, cerebral ischemia and trauma. The glutamate receptor agonist kainic acid (KA) induces seizures and excitotoxic cell death in the CA3 region of the hippocampus. Thymoquinone (TQ) is the most important component of the essential oil obtained from black cumin (Nigella sativa L.) seeds. It has many pharmacological actions including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic effects. TQ was used in an in vitro experimental model of primary cultures where excitotoxicity was induced. Briefly, rat organotypic hippocampal slices were exposed to 5 µM KA for 24 h. Cell death in the CA3 subregions of slices was quantified by measuring propidium iodide fluorescence. The cross-talk between TQ, ER stress and apoptotic pathways was investigated by Western blot. In untreated slices TQ (10 µM) induced a significant increase on the PSD95 levels and it decreased the excitotoxic injury induced by KA. Additionally, TQ was able to ameliorate the KA-induced increase in unfolded proteins GRP78 and GRP94 expression. Finally, TQ was able to partially rescue the reduction of the KA-induced apoptotic pathway activation. Our results suggest that TQ modulates the processes leading to post-kainate neuronal death in the CA3 hippocampal area.