objectives: nigella sativa is a medicinal plant that has long been used in traditional medicine for treating various conditions. numerous animal studies provided evidences that the seed may elicit a broad anti-inflammatory/anti-oxidant activity. the aim of the present clinical trial was to evaluate anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of nigella sativa oil in patients with rheumatoid ar...

C4b-binding protein (C4BP) is a large plasma protein composed of seven alpha-chains and one beta-chain and is involved in the fluid phase regulation of the classical pathway of the complement system. Complement inhibitory activity is located in the alpha-chain, and its mRNA has been detected only in liver to date. Here, we have isolated cDNA clones encoding the alpha-chain of guinea pig C4BP (C...

OBJECTIVE To study the immunomodulatory effects of Nigella sativa (NS) on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) on a Phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and a non-PHA stimulated proliferation. METHODS Cells isolated from human PBMCs which were treated with methanolic extract of NS for 48 h into two separate environments (PHA and non-PHA stimulated). Flow cytometry (for T helper/inducer cells ...

BACKGROUND Toxic effects of anti-cancer and other drugs on the normal tissues could be reduced by the herbal plants and their fractions. This study investigated the protective effect of thymoquinone (TQ) as a fraction of Nigella sativa on methotrexate (MTX)- induced germ cell apoptosis in male mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this experimental study, thirty male Balb/c mice were divided randoml...

Introduction: In the present study, the prophylactic effect of vitamin C, as a potent anti-oxidant, on tracheal responsiveness to methacholine and ovalbumin, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid white blood cell (WBC) count and differential count, and also lung pathology in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) -guinea pigs (cigarette exposed guinea pigs) were examined. In addition, the relax...

background: toxic effects of anti-cancer and other drugs on the normal tissues could be reduced by the herbal plants and their fractions. this study investigated the protective effect of thymoquinone (tq) as a fraction of nigella sativa on methotrexate (mtx)- induced germ cell apoptosis in male mice. materials and methods: in this experimental study, thirty male balb/c mice were divided randoml...

1. A comparative study has been made of glycyl-L-leucine hydrolase activity in the soluble and particulate fractions of intestinal mucosa from monkey, guinea-pig, rabbit and rat. The specific activity of the soluble enzyme is very high in monkey and guineapig, and lower in rabbit and rat. The particulate enzymes from all the four species show low specific activities and form l-lO% of the total ...