Micro and Macroscopic Characterization of Traded Nigella sativa Seeds Using Applied Systematics Techniques

Black cumin (Nigella sativa L., family Ranunculaceae) has been used for many centuries in traditional systems of medicines as a health remedy for numerous diseases. Nigella sativa is an annual flowering plant producing small seeds with aromatic odor and taste. The seeds have great importance in different systems of medicine like Unani and Tibb, Ayurveda and Siddha. The seeds and oil obtained from this herb have been extensively used in food as a spice and condiment. Furthermore, they have medicinal worth and used as a diuretic, liver tonics, appetite stimulant, digestive, and analgesics. Nigella sativa is considered as one of the greatest forms of healing medicine in Islamic literature. In Tibb-e-Nabwi (Prophetic Medicine), Nigella sativa seeds have been recommended for use on a regular basis. The medicinal properties of N. sativa are due to the presence of thymoquinone (TQ), which is the main bioactive component of its essential oil. The miraculous healing power, N. sativa renders it among the top evidence-based herbal medicines. The present work is based on various techniques comprising morphological (qualitative and quantitative), palynological (LM & SEM), anatomical and pharmacognostic examination. Palynological features of N. sativa are characterized by the presence of tricolporate pollen with scan rate exine sculpturing pattern. However, anatomical studies exposed irregular epidermal cells, actinocytic stomata and non-glandular trichomes in N. sativa. The pharmacognostic examination includes fluorescence analysis and physicochemical parameters like moisture content, total ash, acid insoluble ash, water-soluble ash, and water-insoluble ash. The data is useful for micro and macroscopic characterization of herbal drug Nigella sativa.