CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITIES OF BLACK SEED OIL (NIGELLA SATIVA L.)

Nigella sativa L. is an annual herb and cultivated largely in the East Mediterranean region. Seeds used in traditional folk medicine for the treatment of various purposes in the systems of Unani, Ayurveda, Chinese and Arabic. Nigella sativa seed oil was isolated using soxhlet hexane extraction process. GC-MS analysis identified a total of 32 compounds among which 9-eicosyne (63.04%), linoleic acid (13.48%), palmitic acid (9.68%) were the major constituents. Saturated aliphatic fatty acid accounted 63.04% of the seed oil extract. Fatty acid and monoterpene hydrocarbon constituted 23.26% and 4.91% respectively. Also the seed oil included compounds of alkanes and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons that constituted 2.84%, and 0.30% respectively. The seed oil was estimated for its chemical compounds and antioxidant activity using in vitro assays such as DPPH, ABTS, nitric oxide, hydrogen peroxide and total antioxidant scavenging capacity. Higher antioxidant scavenging activity of TAC and ABTS was found in seed oil. The seed oil contains higher percentage of fatty acids and exhibit antioxidant activity which are useful for preparation of pharmaceutical products