Black Cumin Seed
~Nigella sativa~
Active Constituents: Thymoquinone, Thymohydroquinone, Dithymoquinone, p-Cymene, Carvacrol, 4-Terpineol, t-Anethol, Sesquiterpenelongifolene, α-Pinene, Thymol. Isoquinoline Alkaloids; Nigellicimine and Nigellicimine N-oxide. Pyrazol Alkaloids; Nigellidine and Nigellicine.
Nutrition: Protein, Carbohydrates, Crude Fiber, Linoleic/Oleic Fatty Acids, Rich in Unsaturated Fatty Acids, Minerals, and Vitamins.
Extraction Methods: Steam and Hydro Distillation, Ethanol, ENS Method, Soxhlet, Super-Critical CO2, Cold-Press...
Pharmacological Activities:
- Antiinflammatory
- Anticholinergic
- Antiviral
- Hepatoprotective
- Hypotensive
- Insulin Sensitizing
- Antifungal
- Interferon Inducer
- Antispasmodic
- Gluconeogenesis Inhibitor
- Antihypertensive
- Leukotriene Antagonist
- Antibacterial
- Renoprotective
- Antioxidant
- Tumor Necrosis Factor/TNF Alpha Inhibitor
- Analgesic
- Bronchodilator
- Antiulcer
- Gastroprotective
Specific Conditions:
- Cancers; Gastrointestinal, Lung, Cervix, Liver, Blood System, Kidney, Skin, and Cardiovascular.
- Asthma/Bronchitis/COPD
- Diabetes
- Intestinal Parasites
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Opioid Dependency - Long Term Use as a Treatment
- Type-2 Diabetes
- Nervous System issues; Memory, Neurotoxicity, Pain, Depression, Anxiety, Epilepsy
- Autoimmune Disorders
- Protects/Heals Cells from Damage During Chemo-Therapy
- Infections/Conditions caused by various types of Staphylococcus -MRSA-
- Acne
- Psoriasis
- Dermatitis
- Fungal Infections
The seeds require several methods to extract the different constituents
Black Cumin is a flowering plant that's native to Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa and has been used as a panacea for over 3,000 years by ancient cultures in those regions and is still widely used today for its remarkable benefits and is consumed as a spice in cultural dishes throughout its native locales for its flavor and the body's well-being. In it are a variety of active compounds with one of particular interest, called thymoquinone, that's behind its medicinal value.
The seeds used in a savory Borek pastry
Nigella sativa has been used since biblical times in traditional dishes for its flavor with a profile of being peppery, slightly sweet, lightly bitter, earthy, with smoky notes and a resemblance to thyme and anise. These lend to it being paired in cuisine with yogurt, a bread topping to savory dishes, biscuits, meat, salads, sauces, pickled foods, and vegetables with other spices like cumin, fennel, mustard, fenugreek, and several herbs. Because of its extensive use in the kitchen and in folk medicine, its name differs and gets confused from one country to another, often called black seed, black caraway, kalonji, Roman coriander, to name a few, because of it's similarities in flavor to several herbs and spices.
In folk medicine, black cumin is a cure-all and has been hailed by ancient healers as a very powerful plant to have in your medicine cabinet because of its ability to modulate various biological pathways, being used to treat stomach issues, skin conditions, and many others which varied between cultures. Queen Nefertiti used it to maintain her youthful skin, it was found in many Egyptian tombs including King Tuts, it was used in several ancient systems of medicine such as Yunani, Ayurvedic, traditional Chinese medicine, and more. It is warm, dry, and pungent with qualities of being anthelmintic (parasite), sternutatory (sinus/allergy), masticatory (saliva/digestive/appetite), lactagogue (induce lactation), lithontriptic (bladder/kidney stones), resolvent (inflammation/swelling), and carminative (gastrointestinal relief). Works wonders at clearing phlegm as it warms the lungs, it freely allows the movement of Qi, assists and promotes menstruation, aids in labor, clear dampness in the body, and opens up the airways/channels because of its work on inflammation.
2-Isopropyl-5-methylbenzo-1,4-quinone
"Thymoquinone"
In modern pharmacology, the constituents of Nigella sativa are currently being examined for its promising breakthroughs in several fields in medicine, with the main interest being with Thymoquinone. Thymoquinone is slightly water-soluble, essentially neutral, and belongs to the benzoquinones class of organic compounds whose functions in the human body include processes of electron transport, bioenergetic transport, and create metabolic pathways where cells use enzymes to oxidize nutrients. With over 600 clinical studies since 1964, Thymoquinone has been showing amazing results with its numerous and potential roles in treatments, especially with various cancers.
Thymoquinone has been shown to exhibit anti-cancer properties because of its ability to interfere with tumorigenic processes. It stops carcinogenesis, migration, growth of malignant cells, and brings life back to those areas through the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to those cells through angiogenesis. The potential complications and side-effects that come from surgery, radio/immuno/and chemotherapies, are a major reason for the interest in Thymoquinone to be used prior, during, and after these therapies because of its mode of making cancer cells vulnerable and exposed towards treatments while protecting nearby healthy cells from damage and has been proven to promote new cell growth. It is a Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) Alpha Inhibitor; TNF is a type cytokine that signals the acute phase reaction (from APP) that signals systemic inflammation in the body. Thymoquinone inhibits the production and release of prostaglandins which are lipids found at the site of injury or during tissue damage, that cause pain and inflammatory responses that can slow cellular healing and is one of the issues behind autoimmune disorders which can lead to other serious health problems. Its amazing ability to modulate cancer is the main reason for the current push in its research that will lead to it being used as a treatment for other health conditions and diseases. A true panacea in the realm of medicinal herbs.
Thymoquinone is mostly present in super-critical extractions, with less found in cold-press and very little to no presence in water distillation, with larger and more concentrated quantities being the desired forms of isolation for pharmacological uses. For this reason, several types of extraction methods were employed in the crafting of this highly versatile Spagyric, placing it as a Quintessence Spagyric.