ABSTRACT
The WSE is a highly polar, gummy and mucilaginous bioactive content of the Nigella sativa (L.) seeds. This study reports the anxiolytic and anti-inflammatory effects of WSE investigated using Elevated Plus Maze (EPM) and Hole-Board Test (HBT) in adult mice and human RBCs haemolysis inhibition and protein denaturation respectively. The oral WSE treatment (100 & 200 mg/kg b.w/day) for 72 hours has exhibited slightly better anxiolytic effect (p < 0.05) through the time span (92.33 & 93.33 s) spent in the opened arms of EPM vs. diazepam (1 mg/kg b.w i.p/day; 69.33 s). In HBT, only WSE (200 mg/kg b.w/day) has shown a promising number of mean head pokes (13.27 times/min) vs. diazepam (12.87 times/min). The WSE (62.5-500 µg/mL) exposure has exhibited 40.14-72.18% protection against lysis of RBCs vs. aspirin (57.04-71.48%) whilst 62.67-67.66% inhibition of protein denaturation vs. diclofenac sodium (43.11-80.64%). The current findings suggested WSE has promising anxiolytic and anti-inflammatory activities.
Subject(s)
Anti-Anxiety Agents , Anti-Inflammatory Agents , Nigella sativa , Animals , Anti-Anxiety Agents/isolation & purification , Anti-Anxiety Agents/pharmacology , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/isolation & purification , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/pharmacology , Anxiety/drug therapy , Erythrocytes/drug effects , Humans , Maze Learning , Mice , Nigella sativa/chemistry , Phytochemicals/isolation & purification , Phytochemicals/pharmacology , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Seeds/chemistryABSTRACT
The current study provides a way of extraction for both active NSO and WSE from Nigella sativa seeds using 98% methanol. About 1 kg of ground seeds was macerated by 1:2.5 w/v (g/mL) for 72 hours. After rotary evaporation and 7 days of continuous drying and chilling at 50 and 4 °C, NSO and WSE were obtained at the same instant. Solubility tests of 24 solvents and 11 thin layer chromatographic analyses while 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging assay of NSO (73.66) , WSE (33.32) and NSO + WSE (78.22) against ascorbic acid (IC50 = 4.28 mg/mL) was performed. WSE was found to be highly soluble in water and 5% NaOH exhibiting the same Rf value of 0.95 for EtOH:DMSO (9:1) against the honey. WSE has revealed more than twofold higher anti-oxidant activity than others. Formulation of WSE with Tualang honey may provide better targeted hydrophilic drug delivery systems.
