A 'Systematised-Review' and Meta-Analysis of The Anti-Cancer Therapeutic Potential of Nigella sativa (Black cumin) to Reduce Cancer Cell Proliferation and Induce Apoptosis within an In-vitro Framework.

<title>Abstract</title> <p>Despite Nigella sativa (NS) being heralded nearly three decades ago for its exceptional antineoplastic action, it seems its expectation for clinical incorporation is still quite far from realisation. With current treatments taking a 'sledgehammer-to-crack-a-nut' approach many patients and researchers are looking for non-toxic alternatives that still retain efficacious anti-neoplastic results. Within this study we set out to analyse one potential option through a 'systematised-review' and meta-analysis of available pre-clinical research papers utilising NS to reduce cancer-proliferation. We set out to ascertain whether any significant effects were observed, and with which derived medium, along with if any effects observed were consistent across different cancer-types. Our results suggest NS is not merely another 'snake-oil' but rather generates consistently potent anti-neoplastic compounds, with promising therapeutic potential. All of the nine collated papers suggest NS's effect upon in-vitro cell-viability was of a concentration-dependent manner, across all common cancer-types, with the oil-medium being the statistically superior mode of administration with frequent low IC50 values observed within MTT-assays. Additionally, the repeated selective-cytotoxicity displayed within the studies supports the notion of NS being utilised synergistically with current chemo-agents, to mitigate their substantial drawbacks upon a patient's quality-of-life. However, its journey from bench-to-bedside seems to be stagnant with present scarcity of in-vivo clinical-trials and sub-par knowledge of the underlying molecular-mechanisms that enable NS to exert its therapeutic effects. Thus, this project aims to encourage further research to develop novel alternative therapeutics, for the prevention and treatment of cancer, utilising bio-active constituents from NS. The overlooked one.</p>