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Analysis Of Nigella Sativa And Its Effects On The Treatment Of Cancer

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Abstract Nigella sativa is a natural herb that is used in some parts of the world for its healing abilities to treat various ailments. It has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial effects that help explain its medicinal properties. More recently, Nigella sativa and its major active compound, thymoquinone, have become an area of interest in the treatment of cancer. As one of the leading causes of death, cancer is a dreadful disease with no known cure and treatments with high toxicity and expense. In an effort to find drugs with lower levels of toxicity, scientists have turned to naturally occurring compounds, and Nigella sativa has shown great promise. Numerous studies have found that it induces …show more content…

Due to the increasing interest in using naturally occurring compounds for medicinal purposes, black cumin has become one of the most widely studied plants phytochemically and pharmacologically (7). Nigella sativa is composed of different active constituents (15). Of these constituents, thymoquinone (TQ) is the main bioactive compound and the one that has been most extensively studied (4). Numerous studies have found that TQ exhibits anti-cancer effects through various mechanisms including anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects (4). Cancer is the second leading cause of death, and millions of people die each year due to various types of cancer despite continuous efforts to find ways to control and cure the dreaded disease (9). Even though cancer is so common, the molecular mechanisms that lead to its development and progression are still not completely understood (10). The alteration of genetic and epigenetic pathways are currently considered to be the cause of cancer (10). Current forms of treatment for cancer have limited potential due to their toxicity and high expense as well as their side effects of altering the function of cell signaling pathways (10). As a naturally occurring compound, the effectiveness of Nigella sativa to be utilized as an anti-cancer agent has been increasingly explored

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