Abstract
Exposure to food toxins generate multiple adverse health effects. Heavy metals, antibiotics residue, mycotoxins, pesticides and some food additives are examples of the most important food toxins. The common mechanism of toxicity and carcinogenicity effects of food toxins is the generation of oxidative stress that leads to DNA damages. Moreover, based on epidemiologic evidence unhealthy eating habits and food toxicities are associated with cancers occurrence. Therefore, application of bioactive food additives as harmless or safe components in food industry is expensive. Nigella sativa L. is a broadly used herb-drug for various diseases all over the world and has been used as preservative and food additive. Based on various studies N. sativa has shown various pharmacological activities including therapeutic efficacy against different human diseases and antioxidant anti-inflammatory effects against environmental toxins. N. sativa decreases the adverse health effects induced by mentioned food toxins via modulating the action of antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione-S-transferase catalase and act as reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavengers in different organs. Besides, N. sativa and thymoquinone (TQ) have protective effects on food products through removal and inhibition of various toxic compounds. Therefore, in the present review we will describe all protective effects of N. sativa and its main constituents, TQ, against food induced toxicities.
Highlights
One of the basic human need is achieving safe and nutritious food with the advent of the modern industrial world
It has been found that treatment of rats with N. sativa oil (NSO) may improve the harmful effects of toxin and the results suggested the utility of NSO as an antidote and antioxidant protectant against Verrucarin J (VJ) in rats.[107]
Recently, some of the natural herbs and their bioactive components have been used in several studies with the purpose of toxicity prevention in different tissues induced by different chemical and natural toxins especially toxins in food due to daily intake
Summary
One of the basic human need is achieving safe and nutritious food with the advent of the modern industrial world.
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