Title:Thymoquinone: Major Molecular Targets, Prominent Pharmacological Actions and Drug Delivery Concerns
VOLUME: 8 ISSUE: 4
Author(s):Anjali Singh, Iqbal Ahmad, Sohail Akhter, Mohammad Zaki Ahmad, Zeenat Iqbal and Farhan J. Ahmad
Affiliation:Associate Professor, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, India.
Keywords:Anti-cancer, molecular targets, nanoparticles, nanotechnology, thymoquinone, naphthoquinones, formulability, mitochondrial function, scavenging, tyrosine residues
Abstract:The oil of black seed (Nigella sativa) has been used as a folk medicine to treat a number of physiological disorders
such as epilepsy, gastric problems, allergic conditions and various hepato-biliary ailments. Despite being unaware of
the underlying phenomena for the cure of these diseases, people especially in the Mediterranean region have been using
this ancient herb since ages. Researches in the 20th century conducted with the aim of tracking molecular pathways of
anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms disclosed a great deal of information pertaining to the structural-activity
relationships. Rigorous studies revealed that the major active constituent of Nigella sativa oil (NSO) is Thymoquinone
(THQ) which exerts the majority of pharmacological actions observed by the essential oil. Since then, a large number of
investigator groups have identified numerous molecular pathways of almost all major diseases which can be cured by
THQ. Being a phytochemical, THQ has a high lipophilicity which makes it a poorly soluble agent in aqueous fluids restricting
its systemic bioavailability. Also, THQ is highly light and heat-sensitive which further complicates its successful
formulation for drug delivery. This review thus offers an insight to adequately comprehend the large number of pharmacological
actions along with general mechanisms and major molecular targets pertaining to THQ. Additionally, a section
dealing with the application of nanotechnological approaches to appropriately deliver the drug to its intended site of action
has been elaborated.
