13.3 Bioactive Compounds
Besides the important nutrients, Nigella also contains numerous biological active
compounds which improve the human health (Amin and Hosseinzadeh 2016).
Various bioactive compounds from Nigella seeds have been isolated and characterized, and their health effects have been evaluated. Thymoquinone is identified as
chief bioactive compound with total concentration of 30–48% of volatile oil fraction
of Nigella seeds, while p-cymene, thymohydroquinone, and dithymoquinone contributes 7–15% followed by carvacrol (6–12%), 4-terpineol (2–7%), and t-anethol
(1–4%). Apart from these compounds, small quantity of longifolene and sesquiterpene (1–8%) α-pinene and thymol are also recorded. Nigella seed contains different
alkaloids including isoquinolin, nigellicimine, nigellicimine-N-oxide, and indazole
or pyrazol alkaloid ring bearing alkaloids including nigellidine and nigellicine.
Nigella seeds also contain alpha-hederin which is a pentacyclic triterpene, and
saponin, which are water-soluble compounds and have disease prevention potential
(Al-Jassir 1992).
Nigella seeds contain trace amount of other biological active compound including
limonene, carvone, and citronellol. Most of the health benefits of Nigella seeds are
attributed to the quinine compounds (Ahmad et al. 2013). A number of active
compounds have been isolated and identified which are nigellone, avenasterol-5ene, avenasterol-7-ene, 24-methylene-cycloartanol, taraxerol, tirucallol, 3-O-[β-Dxylopyranosyl (1 ! 3)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1 ! 2)-α-L-arabino-pyranosyl]-28O-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1 ! 4)-β-D-glucopyranosyl(1 ! 6)-β-D-glucopyranosyl]-hederagenin),
3-O-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1
!
2)-α-Larabinopyranosyl]28-O-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1
! 4)-β-D-glucopyranosyl(1 ! 6)-β-D-glucopyranosyl]-hederagenin, and 3-O-[β-D-xylopyranosyl(1 ! 3)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 ! 2)-α-L-arabinopyranosyl]–hederagenin
(Taşkin et al. 2005). In addition, aliphatic alcohol, β-unsaturated hydroxy ketone,
hederagenin glycoside, melanthin, melanthigenin, 3-O-[β-D-xylopyranosyl(1 ! 2)-α-L-rhamno-pyranosyl-(1 ! 2)-β-D-glucopyranosyl]-11-methoxy-16,
23-dihydroxy-28-methy-lolean-12-enoate,stigma-5, 22-dien-3-β-D-gluco-pyranoside, cycloart-23-methyl-7, 20, 22-triene-3β, 25-diol, and nigellidine-4-O-sulfite
have also been reported in Nigella seed oil (Nickavar et al. 2003; Morikawa et al.
2004; Mehta et al. 2009).
13.4 Health Benefits
Numerous health-protecting effects including antioxidant activity, antidiabetic, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, nephroprotective activity, antibacterial, and antifungal
properties have been shown by the bioactive constituents of Nigella, Nigella oil, and
Nigella seed extract (Table 13.5).
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Besides the important nutrients, Nigella also contains numerous biological active
compounds which improve the human health (Amin and Hosseinzadeh 2016).
Various bioactive compounds from Nigella seeds have been isolated and characterized, and their health effects have been evaluated. Thymoquinone is identified as
chief bioactive compound with total concentration of 30–48% of volatile oil fraction
of Nigella seeds, while p-cymene, thymohydroquinone, and dithymoquinone contributes 7–15% followed by carvacrol (6–12%), 4-terpineol (2–7%), and t-anethol
(1–4%). Apart from these compounds, small quantity of longifolene and sesquiterpene (1–8%) α-pinene and thymol are also recorded. Nigella seed contains different
alkaloids including isoquinolin, nigellicimine, nigellicimine-N-oxide, and indazole
or pyrazol alkaloid ring bearing alkaloids including nigellidine and nigellicine.
Nigella seeds also contain alpha-hederin which is a pentacyclic triterpene, and
saponin, which are water-soluble compounds and have disease prevention potential
(Al-Jassir 1992).
Nigella seeds contain trace amount of other biological active compound including
limonene, carvone, and citronellol. Most of the health benefits of Nigella seeds are
attributed to the quinine compounds (Ahmad et al. 2013). A number of active
compounds have been isolated and identified which are nigellone, avenasterol-5ene, avenasterol-7-ene, 24-methylene-cycloartanol, taraxerol, tirucallol, 3-O-[β-Dxylopyranosyl (1 ! 3)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1 ! 2)-α-L-arabino-pyranosyl]-28O-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1 ! 4)-β-D-glucopyranosyl(1 ! 6)-β-D-glucopyranosyl]-hederagenin),
3-O-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1
!
2)-α-Larabinopyranosyl]28-O-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1
! 4)-β-D-glucopyranosyl(1 ! 6)-β-D-glucopyranosyl]-hederagenin, and 3-O-[β-D-xylopyranosyl(1 ! 3)-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 ! 2)-α-L-arabinopyranosyl]–hederagenin
(Taşkin et al. 2005). In addition, aliphatic alcohol, β-unsaturated hydroxy ketone,
hederagenin glycoside, melanthin, melanthigenin, 3-O-[β-D-xylopyranosyl(1 ! 2)-α-L-rhamno-pyranosyl-(1 ! 2)-β-D-glucopyranosyl]-11-methoxy-16,
23-dihydroxy-28-methy-lolean-12-enoate,stigma-5, 22-dien-3-β-D-gluco-pyranoside, cycloart-23-methyl-7, 20, 22-triene-3β, 25-diol, and nigellidine-4-O-sulfite
have also been reported in Nigella seed oil (Nickavar et al. 2003; Morikawa et al.
2004; Mehta et al. 2009).
13.4 Health Benefits
Numerous health-protecting effects including antioxidant activity, antidiabetic, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, nephroprotective activity, antibacterial, and antifungal
properties have been shown by the bioactive constituents of Nigella, Nigella oil, and
Nigella seed extract (Table 13.5).
13 Nigella (Nigella sativa) Seed
339