Acute and 28-day repeated dose toxicity evaluations of cold pressed Pinus halepensis Mill. seed oil in mice and rats.

Pinus halepensis Mill. seed (Pinaceae), popularly known as 'Zgougou', is widely consumed in the Mediterranean countries and used traditionally in the treatment of some diseases such as bronchitis, rheumatism, infection, and inflammation. The present study aimed to evaluate the oral safety of cold pressed oil of Pinus halepensis Mill. seeds (COPHS) by acute and 28-day repeated dose toxicities studies in Wistar mice and rats, respectively. In the acute toxicity study, oral administration of COPHS to mice did not provoke mortality or any toxic signs at doses up to 5000 mg/kg bw. After administration of COPHS at doses of 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg bw/day for 28 days, no abnormal changes were observed in body weight, water intake, food consumption, organ weight, blood haematological, serum biochemistry parameters, and histology profile. Furthermore, there was no animal death or any symptom of toxicity in any group during sub-acute toxicity test period. Our findings demonstrate that COPHS is relatively non-toxic and has a large safety margin (>5000 mg/kg). The results of the present research provide basic reference data for food consumption and for future in vivo screening of biological and pharmacological properties of cold pressed oil of Pinus halepensis Mill. seeds.

Analgesic and antiinflammatory effects of Nigella orientalis L. seeds fixed oil: Pharmacological potentials and molecular mechanisms.

Nigella species have been widely used in traditional medicine. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antiinflammatory and analgesic potentials of Nigella orientalis L. seeds fixed oil (NOO). The acetic acid writhing test and the formaldehyde-induced licking paw were performed to assess the analgesic activity of the oil. The antiinflammatory activity was first evaluated in vitro by the erythrocyte membrane stabilization then in vivo by xylene- and carrageenan-induced ear and paw edema, respectively. To further understand the molecular mechanism of action of the Nigella extract, lipopolysaccharide-activated RAW 264.7 macrophages were used. Nitric oxide (NO) production was measured by Griess reaction and cell viability by MTT assay. The gene and protein expression of inflammatory mediators were assessed by RT-PCR and western blot, respectively. NOO exerted a potent analgesic effect in in vivo models of writhing test and induced edema. The analyzed molecular mechanisms revealed a role for NO and prostaglandins as molecules mediating the pharmacological effects of the extract through a mechanism involving nuclear factor-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinases. This study demonstrates, for the first time, that the fixed oil of N. orientalis has strong antinociceptive and antiinflammatory properties and might be a promising agent for the treatment of certain inflammation-related diseases.