The medicinal plants have attracted great attention in the recent years for better therapeutic management of diseases. Nigella sativa is one of the most extensively studied plants and has gained more and more interest for potential medical use in recent years. Historical and traditional uses of this herb have been widely documented in ancient documents; and Nigella sativa have been broadly used throughout the world for the promotion of health and for the treatment of many acute, as well as, chronic conditions for centuries. The seeds of Nigella sativa has rich biological active compounds, and are used as a natural remedy to treat various ailments since it has a variety of pharmacological properties, which include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunopotentiating actions, anti-cancer, analgesic, antihistaminic, anti-microbial, hypoglycemic, gastroprotective, nephroprotective, lung protective, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, and neuroprotective. This plant also has positive effects on reproductive system and skin diseases. On the other side, adverse effects and toxicity about use of Nigella sativa were rarely reported. An ingredient isolated from seeds and evaluated mostly is thymoquinone, but since the beneficial effects of seeds not limited to this compound and it appears the all compounds in the seeds act synergistically; in this article, attempt that the effects of Nigella sativa is addressed. In this review, we summarize and discuss the effects of Nigella sativa seeds in the treatment and prevention of various diseases. This review is mainly intended to provide a comprehensive knowledge regarding existing data of the pharmacological and toxicological actions of this plant.
