Background:

The black seeds of Nigella have long been ingested to treat a broad range of diseases, including inflammation and cancer.1 Thymoquinone is a natural phytochemical isolated from the seeds of N. sativa.1 It has anti-inflammatory effects, blocking the synthesis of leukotrienes.2,1 Thymoquinone inhibits the growth of leukemia cells (IC50 = 1.5 μg/ml), inducing apoptosis by down-regulating the expression of Bcl-2 while up-regulating Bax expression.3 In addition to blocking cell proliferation and triggering apoptosis, thymoquinone (15 μM) suppresses STAT3-regulated gene expression and prevents angiogenesis.4,5