Cumin Black
Moscow. August 4th. INTERFAX.RU – Scientists at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) propose to use the active substance of the plant Nigella Sativa (known as nigella sativa, black cumin, Roman corinadar, Kalindzhi) for the treatment of COVID-19, UTS said.
It is noted that Nigella Sativa seeds have been used for centuries as a traditional remedy for a variety of diseases, including inflammation and infection.
According to scientists, as a result of model studies, there is growing evidence that thymoquinone, the active ingredient in Nigella Sativa , can “stick” to the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and prevent it from causing lung infection.
“It can also block the 'cytokine storm' that affects seriously ill patients hospitalized with COVID-19,” said study co-author Professor Kanez Fatima Shad.
Thymoquinone has been extensively studied in laboratories, including in animals. These studies have shown that the substance can positively influence our immune system by preventing the release of pro-inflammatory chemicals such as interleukins (a group of cytokines synthesized mainly by white blood cells; are part of the immune system).
This gives thymoquinone a potential role in the treatment of allergic conditions such as asthma, eczema, arthritis, including rheumatoid and osteoarthritis, and possibly even multiple sclerosis.
It is clarified that an obstacle to the use of Nigella Sativa as a therapeutic agent is its poor natural absorption in the gastrointestinal tract, but with the help of nanotechnology it is possible to overcome this barrier.
Nigella Sativa has also been shown to be effective in the laboratory in killing bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, which can cause a range of mild and severe infections when in contact with the skin, and viruses, including influenza.
The study is not the first attempt to adapt herbal medicines to treat coronavirus infection. Earlier, an international team of scientists affiliated with institutions in Denmark, Germany and Hong Kong found that some extracts from the artemisia annua plant (annual wormwood) are active against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
The group reportedly tested three wormwood extracts for how they dealt with SARS-CoV-2 in human lung tissue.
