Black Seeds (Nigella sativa)
Black Seeds (Nigella sativa)
1- Scientific Name
Nigella sativa – English Name: Black seeds
2- Family
Buttercup family: Ranunculaceae
3- Botanical Description
An annual herb with an erect, ridged stem 20–60 cm tall. The leaves are alternate, deeply divided into thread-like lobes. The flowers are hermaphrodite, solitary at the branch tips, pale blue. The carpels form a nearly spherical capsule, its surface covered with whitish vesicles, ending in a beak equal in length to the carpel. The fruit consists of a number of follicles, each containing a number of black seeds about 3 mm long.
4- Part Used
Mature seeds.
5- Active Compounds
The seeds contain a fixed fatty oil at 30–40%, composed of numerous unsaturated fatty acids such as Oleic acid (20–24%), Linoleic acid (50%), and Linolenic acid (7%), in addition to some saturated fatty acids.
The seeds also contain a volatile essential oil at 0.5–1.5%, its most important components being Thymoquinone, Nigellone, and Arginine (as natural antioxidants). The seeds also contain arginine acid, carotenoids, and tannins, and minerals such as phosphorus, iron, and calcium.
6- Medicinal Importance
Black seed oil is used in pharmaceutical or food industries through formulation of products that work to:
- Protect the colon, liver, and kidneys from carcinogenic compounds and from certain types of liver poisoning, through its volatile oil, due to its antioxidant properties.
- Treat certain allergic conditions such as cough and asthma, through its volatile oil.
- Stimulate the immune system, increasing the number of lymphatic cells, through its fatty oil.
- Treat certain skin conditions such as itching, warts, boils, vitiligo, and leprosy-related discoloration, through its fatty oil.
- Protect the heart and arteries from elevated triglyceride levels and raise beneficial cholesterol levels, through its fatty oil.
- Support hair health and shine, through its fatty oil.
7- Acceptance Card
| No. | Property | Specification |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Color | Black |
| 2 | Texture | Hard |
| 3 | Odor | Odorless |
| 4 | Fungal & Insect Infestation | Indicator: No unpleasant odors, foreign colors, or flying insects of any kind Limits: Infestation by storage insects (larvae, adult insects) not to exceed 2% |
| 5 | % Impurities | Not to exceed 5% |
| 6 | % Volatile Oil | Not less than 1% Note: oil quality and economic feasibility should be considered if the percentage falls below this |
| 7 | % Fatty Oil | Not less than 25% Note: oil quality and economic feasibility should be considered if the percentage falls below this |
| 8 | % Moisture | Not to exceed 10% |
8- General Notes
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