Abstract
<jats:p>Nigella sativa L. (black cumin) is an annual species of the family Ranunculaceae, traditionally used in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia both as a spice and as a medicinal remedy for respiratory, digestive and metabolic disorders. The seeds have a high content of fixed oil (approximately 26–40 percent), proteins, carbohydrates, fibre and minerals, and the oil is dominated by polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly linoleic and oleic acids, which confer high nutritional and functional value. The volatile fraction of the seeds is rich in thymoquinone, thymohydroquinone, dithymoquinone, p-cymene and thujene isomers, compounds regarded as chemical markers of essential oil quality. In addition, the seeds contain alkaloids, triterpene saponins, phytosterols, flavonoids and phenolic acids, which underlie an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, cardiometabolic, neuroprotective, antimicrobial and antitumour potential demonstrated in numerous preclinical and clinical studies. Recent advances in extraction methods and in the formulation of extracts and thymoquinone (including nanoformulations) have improved the bioavailability and stability of the active compounds, consolidating N. sativa as a model species in phytotherapy and modern pharmacological research.</jats:p>