Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3 Oriental Pharmacy and Experimental Medicine https://doi.org/10.1007/s13596-019-00363-3 REVIEW An updated literature‑based review: phytochemistry, pharmacology and therapeutic promises of Nigella sativa L. Muhammad Torequl Islam 1,2  · Md. Roich Khan 3  · Siddhartha Kumar Mishra 4 Received: 26 April 2016 / Accepted: 21 January 2019 © Institute of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University 2019 Abstract An in depth review on Nigella sativa and its derived constituents has been necessitated which has been sketched in this paper from the research reports obtained from PubMed and ScienceDirect databases. Findings of this meticulous review suggest that N. sativa possesses various important phytoconstituents and derived compounds with diverse biological efects includ- ing antioxidant, anti-infammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-parasitic, anti-protozoal, antiviral, cytotoxic, anticancer, and neuro-, gastro-, cardio-, hepato- and nephro-protective activities. In addition, N. sativa implies benefciary efects on reproductive, pulmonary and immune systems along with diabetes mellitus (type 2 diabetes), fertility, breast cancer, der- matological complications, dehydration, dyspepsia, osmotic balance and others. Amongst several isolated chemical moie- ties of N. sativa, thymoquinone may be one of the best targets for treatment of microbial infections, infammations, cancer, metabolic syndromes, and many other diseases. The N. sativa is evident to promote health in some non-clinical and clinical studies and it may serve to be one of the best sources for modern phyto medicine. Keywords Nigella sativa · Thymoquinone · Pharmacological efects · Phytomedicine · Prevention Introduction Nigella sativa L. is a small shrub (20 to 90 cm tall) under the botanical family, Ranunculaceae. It is native to South- ern Europe, North Africa and Southeast Asia; cultivated in many countries in the world like Middle Eastern, Mediter- ranean region, South Europe, India, Pakistan, Syria, Tur- key, Saudi Arabia (Ahmad et al. 2013). Nigella sativa has tapering green leaves and rosaceous white, yellow, pink, pale blue or purplish fowers with 5–10 petals. The ripe fruit (capsule: 3–7 united follicles) contains numerous tiny seeds, dark black in color. The seed and oil of N. sativa has been reported for frequent use in ancient remedies (Unani, Ayurveda, Chinese and Arabic) in Asian countries and in the Middle-East (Aljabre et al. 2015). The use of N. sativa seeds had been mentioned by as earlier by Ibne-Sina (980–1037) in his famous book Al-Qanoon ftt-Tibb (The Canon of Med- icine) (Masic 2012). Traditionally, N. sativa is used as a medicament for a variety of disorders in the respiratory system, digestive tract, cardiovascular system (CVS), kidney, liver, and immune system. Its uses in fatigue and dispiritedness are antique reports. The most common traditional uses belong to the ail- ments including asthma, bronchitis, rheumatism and related infammatory diseases, indigestion, loss of appetite, diar- rhea, dropsy, amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, worms and skin eruptions. It is also used as antiseptic and local anesthetic (Ahmad et al. 2013). This review is stimulated by the talks of the noble man, the last Prophet of the religion Islam, Hazrat Mohammad (PBUH); who told that the black seed (Scientifc name: Nigella sativa; Urdu: Kalonji; Arabic: Habba-tu sawda/ Habba Al-Barakah; English: Black cumin/Black seed; * Muhammad Torequl Islam muhammad.torequl.islam@tdtu.edu.vn 1 Department for Management of Science and Technology Development, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam 2 Faculty of Pharmacy, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam 3 Department of Pharmacy, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Gopalganj 8100, Bangladesh 4 Cancer Biology Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, Dr. Harisingh Gour Central University, Sagar, M.P. 470003, India