Abstract
BackgroundThymoquinone is one of the active ingredients of blackcumin (Nigella sativaL.) essential oil possessing anti-inflammatory, antineoplastic, neuro- and hepatoprotec-tive properties. Some of these properties were attributedto an antioxidant activity of thymoquinone, which seemsto be unlikely from its structure. Because the lipophilicthymoquinone exhibits a structural similarity with thenatural mitochondrial electron carrier, ubiquinone, itwas of interest whether the suggested antioxidant effectof thymoquinone in cells can be explained by its interac-tion with the mitochondrial respiratory chain.Materials and methodsAntioxidant activities were determined spectrophotome-trically by means of the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl-radical (DPPH
Highlights
Thymoquinone is one of the active ingredients of black cumin (Nigella sativa L.) essential oil possessing antiinflammatory, antineoplastic, neuro- and hepatoprotective properties. Some of these properties were attributed to an antioxidant activity of thymoquinone, which seems to be unlikely from its structure
Because the lipophilic thymoquinone exhibits a structural similarity with the natural mitochondrial electron carrier, ubiquinone, it was of interest whether the suggested antioxidant effect of thymoquinone in cells can be explained by its interaction with the mitochondrial respiratory chain
The cytochrome c system turned out to be unsuitable for the evaluation of the antioxidant activity of thymoquinone
Summary
Thymoquinone is one of the active ingredients of black cumin (Nigella sativa L.) essential oil possessing antiinflammatory, antineoplastic, neuro- and hepatoprotective properties. Some of these properties were attributed to an antioxidant activity of thymoquinone, which seems to be unlikely from its structure. Because the lipophilic thymoquinone exhibits a structural similarity with the natural mitochondrial electron carrier, ubiquinone, it was of interest whether the suggested antioxidant effect of thymoquinone in cells can be explained by its interaction with the mitochondrial respiratory chain
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.