NOVEL NUTRACEUTICALS FROM ETNOPHARMACY: NIGELLA SATIVA SEEDS ESSENTIAL OILS AGAINST RECURRENT BLADDER INFECTIONS

Seeds of Nigella sativa L.(Ranunculaceae), known commonly as “black cumin” have been employed for thousands years in traditional use as a spice and food preservative. Recently, many biological activities of Nigella sativa L. seeds have been reported, including: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antimicrobial and antifungal ones. Several effects have been attributed to active principles of Nigella sativa L. which includes thymoquinone, thymohydroquinone, dithymoquinone, thymol, carvacrol, nigellicine, nigellimine-x-oxide, nigellidine and alpha-hedrin. Nigella sativa L. seed extract inhibits fungal strains. In the present study we started a systemathic evaluation on fungi and pathogenic bacteria of ether and methanolic extracts of oils from Nigella Sativa seeds. The oils were found to have important antifungal and antibacterial activities as compared to tetracycline, cefuroxime and ciprofloxacin positive controls. The ether extracts showed the stonger activity. These interesting findings has prompted us to propose Nigella sativa seeds and their extracts as possible treantment in the prevention of recurrent infection (i.e. bladder, gut and kidney) in which othe natural remedies has already shown interesting results, especially in synergic association. Therefore, a novel food supplement, based on Nigella sativa, Cranberry and Mannose, (NiCraMa) is proposed for the treatment of urinary and digestive tracts recurrent infection.