Scientific Research

Since 1959 there have been over 200 different studies at Universities and Laboratories. This research was brought about by the show horse Baronesse which, after suffering from asthma was prescribed a cortisone-based therapy, which her owner would not allow because of the severe side effects. Eventually the owner heard how Arabian horses were administered with Blackseed for immune deficiencies. After administering black seed to the horse’s diet, Baronesse quickly regained her health and started to win medals again. This discovery lead to scientists analysing exactly how black seed works. There are still 6% of the oil’s components to be studied and could reveal further insight into why black seed oil has so many uses in medical healing.

Research
The Cancer Research Institute at South Carolina USA provided scientific proof that black seed oil not only has a regulating effect on the immune system and increases the number of immune cells and antibodies but also increased the formation of bone marrow cells by a staggering 250%, protected the body from viruses, destroyed tumour cells and increased the production of interferon.
A study of black seed's potential anti-tumour principles by the Amala Research Centre in Amala Nagar, Kerala (India) in 1991 lent further impetus to Dr. Chakravarty's suggestion for the possible use of black seed in the treatment of cancer.
Using an active principle of fatty acids derived from black seed, studies with Swiss albino mice showed that this active principle could completely inhibit the development of a common type of cancer cells called Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC). A second common type of cancer cells, Dalton's lymphoma ascites (DLA) cells were also used.
• Mice who had received the EAC cells and black seed remained normal without any tumour formation, illustrating that the active principle was 100% effective in preventing EAC tumour development.
• Results in mice who received DLA cells and black seed showed that the active principle had inhibited tumour development by 50% less compared to mice not given the active principle.
The study concluded, "It is evident that the active principle isolated from nigella sativa seeds is a potent anti-tumour agent, and the constituent long chain fatty acid may be the main active component."

University of Alexandria, Egypt 1997 confirmed the inhibiting effects of black seed oil on tumor growth.

Diabetes
Recent American Research has been able to prove a reduction of blood sugar through the ingestion of black seed oil. However, a doctor, on a regular basis, should administer the blood sugar level since it may drop so rapidly that an inadequate level of sugar in the blood could occur.

The Archive of Aids published an independent clinical study whereby black seed oil was confirmed to have powerful effects on the body’s defence system by improving the ratio between helper T-cells and suppresser T-cells by a significant amount while also improving the natural killer cell activity.
Studies begun just over a decade ago suggest that if used on an ongoing basis, black seed can play an important role to enhance human immunity, particularly in immunocompromise patients.

In 1986, Drs. El-Kadi and Kandil conducted a study with human volunteers to test the efficiency of black seed as a natural immune enhancer. The first group of volunteers received black seed capsules (1 gram twice daily) for four weeks and the second group were given a placebo. A complete lymphocyte count carried out in all volunteers before and four weeks after administration of black seed and the placebo revealed that the majority of subjects who took black seed displayed a 72% increase in helper to suppresser T-cells ratio, as well as an increase in natural killer cell functional activity. The control group who received the placebo experienced a net decline in ratio of 7%. They reported, "These findings may be of great practical significance since a natural immune enhancer like the black seed could play an important role in the treatment of Cancer, AIDS, and other disease conditions associated with immune deficiency states."

These results were confirmed by a study published in the Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal in 1993 by Dr. Basil Ali and his colleagues from the College of Medicine at Kin Faisal University.
In the field of AIDS research specifically, tests carried out by Dr. Haq on human volunteers at the Department of Biological and Medical Research Centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (1997) showed that black seed enhanced the ratio between helper T-cells and suppresser T-cells by 55% with a 30% average enhancement of the natural killer (NK) cell activity.

Bronchial Asthma
In 1960, scientists Badr-El-Din and Mahfouz found that dimer dithymoquinone isolated from black seed's volatile oil, under the name of "Nigellone," and given by mouth to some patients suffering from bronchial asthma, suppressed the symptoms of the condition in the majority of patients.
Following the results of this early study, crystalline Nigellone was administered to children and adults in the treatment of bronchial asthma with effective results and no sign of toxicity. It was observed, however, that although effective, crystalline nigellone displayed a delayed reaction.
In 1993, Nirmal Chakravarty, M.D., conducted a study to see if this delay could be attributed to the possibility of crystalline nigellone being an inhibitory agent on histamine. His hypothesis proved correct. Dr. Chakravarty's study found that the actual mechanism behind the suppressive effect of crystalline nigellone on histamine is that crystalline nigellone inhibits protein kinase C, a substance known to trigger the release of histamine. In addition, his study showed that crystalline nigellone decreased the uptake of calcium in mast cells, which also inhibits histamine release.
The importance of these results is that people who suffer from bronchial asthma and other allergic diseases may benefit from taking crystalline Nigellone.

Menstrual Problems
Recent studies have shown that pre-menstrual syndrome and the complaints of menopause have responded very well to specific or preventative treatment of black seed oil.

Anti-Bacterial
In 1989, a report appeared in the Pakistan Journal of Pharmacy about anti-fungal properties of the volatile oil of black seed. 1992 saw researchers at the Department of Pharmacy, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, conducting a study in which the antibacterial activity of the volatile oil of black seed was compared with five antibiotics: ampicillin, tetracycline, cotrimoxazole, gentamicin, and nalidixic acid.
The oil proved to be more effective against many strains of bacteria, including those known to be highly resistant to drugs: V. cholera, E. coli (a common infectious agent found in undercooked meats), and all strains of Shigella spp., except Shigella dysentriae. Most strains of Shigella have been shown to rapidly become resistant to commonly used antibiotics and chemotheraputic agents.
In light of the above research findings, it is of interest that homeopaths have long been known to make a tincture from the black seed for digestive and bowel complaints. Traditionally, the black seed is still used to help relieve vomiting and diarrhoea, as well as flatulent colic, and to help counteract the griping action of purgatives (e.g. certain laxatives, fruits such as apricots when over consumed).
Also a report in the University of Erzurum, Turkey 1989 found evidence that black seed oil is ant-bacterial and anti-mycotic.

Arthritis, Anti-Inflammatory
• As early as 1960, Professor El-Dakhakny reported that black seed oil has an anti-inflammatory effect and that it could be useful for relieving the effects of arthritis.
• 1995, a group of scientists at the Pharmacology Research Laboratories, Department of Pharmacy, Kings College, London, decided to test the effectiveness of the fixed oil of Nigella sativa and its derivative, thymoquinine, as an anti-inflammatory agent. Their study found that the oil inhibited eicosanoid generation and demonstrated anti-oxidant activity in cells.
• The inhibition of eicasanoid generation, however, was higher than could be expected from thymoquinone alone. Their study suggested that other compounds within the oil might also be responsible for the enhanced anti-inflammatory reactions in cells.
• The scientists speculated that the unusual C20: 2 unsaturated fatty acids contained in black seed were possibly responsible for boosting the oil's effectiveness.
• In 1997, studies conducted at the Microbiological Unit of the Research Centre, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, found that externally in an ointment form, the anti-inflammatory activity of the black seed was found to be in the same range as that of other similar commercial products. The tests also demonstrated that the black seed is non-allergenic.