Black Cumin Seeds Research Articles

Fatty acid composition of liver and breast meat of quails fed diets containing black cumin (Nigella sativa L.) and/or coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) seeds as unsaturated fatty acid sources

A study was conducted to evaluate the fatty acid composition of liver and breast meat of Japanese quails fed diets containing black cumin seed and/or coriander seed as unsaturated fatty acid sources. A total of 216 one-day-old Japanese quails were assigned to six experimental groups, each consisting of four replicates having 9 birds per replicate. One group served as control group fed diets without black cumin seed and/or coriander seed. Other groups were fed diets containing 1% black cumin seed, 2% black cumin seed, 1% coriander seed, 2% coriander seed, and 1.5% of each of black cumin and coriander seeds. All the diets were isonitrogenous and isocaloric. The trial lasted for 35 days. Body weight (BW) gain, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio were recorded at 1 to 14, 15 to 35, and 1 to 35 days. At the end of experiment, carcass and organ yields, and carcass characteristics were measured. Fatty acid composition of liver and breast meat of quails were determined. Growth performance traits were not different among the groups except for BW gain at 1 to 14 days which was lower (P < 0.05) in quails fed diets containing 2% coriander seed or 1.5% of black cumin and coriander seeds. Dietary black cumin seed and/or coriander seed had no effect on carcass and organ yields, cooking loss, and water holding capacity of breast fillet of quails. However, quails fed control diets had greater (P < 0.05) breast meat pH15 and pHu. C16:0 and C18:1 were identified as the key fatty acids of the liver whereas C16:0, C18:1, and n-6 C18:2 were major contributor of breast meat fatty acids representing about 85% of total fatty acids. Quails fed diets with black cumin seed and/or coriander seed had greater (P = 0.041) n-6 C18:2 concentration in breast meat. Diets containing a combination of black cumin and coriander seeds reduced n-6 C18:3 in breast meat (P = 0.007). Black cumin seed (1% or 2%) in quail diets increased n-3 C18:3 in breast meat (P < 0.001). Total PUFA and total n-6 concentrations, and PUFA:SFA ratio in quail breast meat were lower in control group (P = 0.038, P = 0.005, and P = 0.043, respectively). In conclusion, findings of the present study suggest that black cumin and/or coriander seeds can be used to improve the fatty acid composition of breast meat of quails without any effect on overall growth performance.

Effect of Added Black Cumin Seed (Nigella sativa L) Oil on Oxidative Stability of Flaxseed Oil

Background: Lipid oxidation has adverse effect on food deterioration and human health. Oxidative reactions limit the shelf-life of fresh and processed foodstuffs which are of great concern in the vegetable oil and fat industry.&#x0D; Aim: The antioxidant activity of Black Cumin (Nigella sativa L) Oil (BCO) as a source of natural antioxidants was compared against a synthetic antioxidant (BHA). Its oxidative stability was evaluated in Flaxseed oil (as the most sensitive oil against oxidation) in concentrations of BHA (200ppm).&#x0D; Study Design: Oils were analyzed for the composition of fatty acids, tocopherols and for some physicochemical properties [Peroxide (PV), P-Anisidine (AV),TOTOX values, Thiobarbituric acid, Iodine value, Oxidative stability (OS)and Refractive index]to assess the extent of oil deterioration during 30th days of storage.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: Islamic Azad University of Varamin and Tehran University, Tehran, Iran, From March 2018 to April 2018.&#x0D; Methodology: Optimal condition was investigated to protect edible oil like flaxseed oil from oxidative reaction. Black cumin seeds and flaxseeds were pressed separately by cold press. Then BCO was prepared at five concentration levels of 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25% (w/w) and added to Flaxseed oil. In terms of antioxidant activity, they were analyzed by Gas Chromatography and compared with sample containing 200 ppm of synthetic antioxidant (BHA) during 30thdays at ambient temperature (22-25° C).&#x0D; Results and Conclusion: The results showed that different levels of BCO were able to slow down the lipid oxidation well, but the effect of sample contained 5% BCO was higher than other levels and has potential source of natural antioxidant for the application in food industry to prevent lipid oxidation.

Stability and volatile oxidation compounds of grape seed, flax seed and black cumin seed cold-pressed oils as affected by thermal oxidation

The old-pressed oils (CPO) from grape seeds (GSO), flax seeds (FSO) and black cumin seeds (BSO) were analyzed for their fatty acid profiles, tocopherols, total phenolics, bioactives and phenolic compositions. The stability of CPO under thermal oxidation conditions was evaluated. The main fatty acid in FSO was linolenic acid (56.5% of total fatty acids); while GSO and BSO were rich in linoleic acid, which accounted for 66.8 and 56.8%, respectively. GSO was rich in ?-tocopherol (123.0 mg/kg), while ?-tocopherol was a prevalent isomer in FSO and BSO (137.9 and 128.9 mg/kg, respectively). The total phenolic contents in the oils ranged from 554 mg GAE/kg oil (FSO) to 1140 mg GAE/kg oil (BSO). Luteolin, dihydroquercetin and benzoic acids were the dominant bioactives and phenolics in FSO, GSO and BSO, respectively. Based on the oxidative stability index (OSI) value, BSO showed the highest value (6.14 h) among the other oils. The oxidative stability of FSO and BSO were higher than GSO according to peroxide value (PV) and conjugated diene (CD) values of the oils during storage at 60 °C. Hexanal, 2,4-heptadienal and (E,E)-2,4-heptadienal were the major volatile oxidation compounds (VOC) in FSO. Hexanal and (E)-2-heptanal were the main identified VOC in the GSO and BSO under the same oxidation conditions.

Characterization of extracted phenolics from black cumin (Nigella sativa linn), coriander seed (Coriandrum sativum L.), and fenugreek seed (Trigonella foenum-graecum)

ABSTRACT The current project was planned for the extraction and characterization of the bioactive moieties from coriander seed (CS), black cumin seed (BCS), and fenugreek seed (FS) with special reference to their synergistic effect. Purposely, the solvent extraction method was applied by using the water and aqueous methanol (70:30 v/v) at constant temperature (40°C) for 7 h. For the estimation of antioxidant profile of resultant extracts, the indices such as total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl), β-carotene bleaching assay, FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power), and ABTS (2,2′-azino-bis,3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) assay were adapted. Moreover, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) characterization of the extracts was also carried out for their active ingredients estimation. The results indicated that the combination of spices in some treatments exhibited more antioxidant activity as compared to their single one. The maximum TPC, TFC, DPPH, β-carotene bleaching assay, FRAP, and ABTS assay were exhibited by methanolic extract of T2 (BCS) as 292.5 ± 9.14 (mgGAE/100 g), 188.8 ± 5.69 (mgQE/100 g), 46.3 ± 0.32 (IC50 μg/ml), 76.96 ± 0.81 (%), 5.53 ± 0.08 (mg/TEg), and 67.18 ± 0.82 (μmolTE/g), respectively, followed by T4 (combination of CS and BCS) as 290.5 ± 8.54 (mgGAE/100 g), 184.2 ± 5.88 (mgQE/100 g), 48.2 ± 0.48 (IC50 μg/ml), 75.62 ± 0.87 (%), 5.49 ± 0.04 (mg/TEg), and 64.56 ± 0.46 (μmolTE/g) values for respective parameters, whilst least was observed in T6 (combination of BCS and FS) of respective antioxidant indices as 287.2 ± 9.57 (mgGAE/100 g), 175.9 ± 5.79 (mgQE/100 g), 50.7 ± 0.96 (IC50 μg/ml), 73.24 ± 0.59 (%), 5.40 ± 0.09 (mg/TEg), and 61.96 ± 0.58 (μmolTE/g). Moreover, HPLC characterization conforms to the presence of thymoquinone, diosgenin, and phenolic acids, including (chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and kaempferol) in BCS, FS, and CS, respectively. Conclusively, spices extraction was dependent upon the type of solvent and showed promising antioxidant potential not only alone but also in their combinations thus can be utilized for mitigating the oxidative-stress-related maladies.

Antibacterial Properties of Essential Oil (EO) Extracted from Nigella sativa Linn. (Black cumin) and its Application Against Vibrio cholerae in Ground Chicken Meat

Chemical preservatives for food preservation at high concentration are hazardous for public health. The natural antimicrobials from plants, herbs and spices have been given priority as alternatives of the chemical preservatives. In this study, antibacterial activity of the essential oil (3%) from black cumin seeds was tested against five food borne pathogens viz Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), Shigella dysenteriae-I (MJ-84), Escherichia coli 0157:H7 (ATCC 12079), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) and Vibrio cholerae( ATCC 6395) using disc diffusion method. The essential oil (EO) showed antibacterial activity against both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria with the highest inhibition against S. aureus (17.4 ± 0.2) and the lowest against Vibrio cholerae (14.5 ± 1.0). No activity was observed against E. coli and E. coli O157:H7. The effect of temperature and pH on the antibacterial activity of the EO from black cumin seeds was determined. At 100°C for 30 min treatment, no significant reduction of antibacterial activity of the EO was observed, suggesting that high temperature does not affect the activity. The optimum temperature for the activity was recorded at 50°C. The EO showed the highest activity at pH 7.0 (optimum) with an insignificant change of activity at pH 5.0, 9.0 and 10.0. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of EO against S. aureus, V. cholerae and Shigella dysenterae were determined by two fold dilution method at optimum temperature of 50°C and 37oC and optimum pH at 7.0 and 5.0, respectively, which ranged from 0.125 (S. aureus) to 1.0% (Shigella dysenterae), with the MBC of 0.25 to 2.0%, respectively. Three times of MIC value of EO (1.5%) was applied in ground chicken meat seeded with V. cholerae ATCC 6395 and was kept at -20°C for 10 days. The test organism was diminished within 24 hours, suggesting that the EO from black cumin is highly active in vivo and could be used as preservative in ground chicken meat. The results of this study provide new dimension of research on EOs from spices against foodborne pathogens in vivo in controlling their growth in meat based food and food products.&#x0D; Bangladesh J Microbiol, Volume 34 Number 2 December 2017, pp 55-60

Effect of dietary black cumin (Nigella sativa) supplementation on performance of commercial broilers

A feeding trial was conducted on 120 day old broiler chicks (Cobb 400) reared on deep litter system with 4 treatments groups of 30 chicks having three replicates of 10 broiler chicks each. There were 4 dietary groups (T1, T2, T3 and T4) employed in the experiment. The first group (T1) was control in which no supplement was added to the basal feed, while in T2, T3 and T4 group was supplemented with black cumin seed in basal feed @ 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0 percent, respectively. All birds had free access to the feed and water. The results of the experiment on performance of broiler chicks indicated that the dietary inclusion of black cumin in broiler chickens increased body weight gain, reduced the feed intake, improved feed conversion ratio (FCR) and performance index significantly (P<0.05), with best performance in group supplemented with 0.5 per cent of black cumin. On the basis of present study it can be concluded that, dietary black cumin seeds supplementation at 0.5 percent level may be recommended to improve the growth performance of broiler chickens.

Nutritional composition of the indigenous cultivar of black cumin seeds from Bangladesh

Nutritional composition of the indigenous cultivar of black cumin seeds from Bangladesh

Wpływ metod uprawy na właściwości nasion czarnuszki siewnej (Nigella sativa L.)

The aim of this study was to determine the physical properties of black cumin seeds subjected to various cultivation methods (n=10) (level of nitrogen fertilization, sowing date, row spacing and integrated protection). The experiments were carried out in two years. Thousand seed weight ranged from 2.11 to 2.44 g in first year, and from 1.96 to 2.39 g in second year. In first year, bulk density ranged from 0.464 to 0.506 g*cm-3, true density – from 0.956 to 1.017 g*cm-3, and porosity – from 49.6 to 53.9%. In second year, bulk density ranged from 0.441 to 0.465 g cm-3, true density - from 0.996 to 1.061 g*cm-3, and porosity – from 54.3 to 58.4%. The mean values of optical properties were also determined. In seeds harvested in first year, the values of parameter L* reached 33.04-33.56, a*: 0.42-0.76, b*: 1-1.69, and YI E313: 5.61-7.91. In seeds harvested in second year, the respective values were as follows: L*: 32.84-33.93, a*: 0.39-0.97, b*: 0.82-2.06, and YI E313: 5.22-9.78. In first year, seed length (L) was in the range of 2.61-2.73 mm, width (S): 1.67-1.72 mm, mean thickness factor (W5): 0.805-0.858, and roundness (W13): 0.792-0.815. In seeds harvested in second year, the respective values were as follows: L: 2.59-2.95 mm, S: 1.57-1.66 mm, W5: 0.667-0.742, W13: 0.825-0.871. The most beneficial influence on the physical parameters of black cumin seeds had nitrogen fertilization at 100 kg*ha-1, seeding delayed by 20 days, row spacing of 15 or 30 cm, and the application of Penncozeb 80 WP.

The influence of carotenoid and chlorophyll content on the oxidative processes in the selected vegetable oils

Purpose: More than 100 plant species have been classified as oil products, but only a few of them are used in industrial production. In the available literature, there are no studies that would describe the relationship between the content of plant dyes and their impact on auto-oxidative processes. Therefore, this study aimed to determine dye composition and to define their effect on the acid value, peroxide value and quality assessment of selected refined and unrefined oils. Materials and methods: Twenty samples from different manufacturers were evaluated. Oils were purchased from retail trade of the Bialystok city. The total colour, acid, and peroxide values were determined in accordance with the Polish Standards PN-ISO 3960: 1996, PN-A-86934: 1995 and PN-ISO 3960: 1996, respectively. Results: Statistically significant differences of total colour values between both groups were found (p=0.002). The acid value of refined oils was lower than in an unrefined group (p=0.02). A positive statistically significant correlation was noticed between the total colour value and the acid value in the refined group (R=0.65, p=0.04). No significant effect of plant dyes on the acid or peroxide value of unrefined oils was observed. Conclusions: Refined and unrefined oils purchased in the city of Bialystok mostly met the standard values with the exception of cold-pressed oil from black cumin seeds, where the acid and peroxide value exceeded the values set in Codex Alimentarius.

ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY OF METHANOL EXTRACT OF BLACK CUMIN SEEDS ON Aspergillus sp.

Aspergillus sp. is a type of pathogenic fungus and can cause pulmonary aspergillosis. This research aims to determine the concentration of methanol extract from black cumin (Nigella sativa) seeds which effective to inhibit the growth of Aspergillus sp. (RMPRB2). This research used poisoned food method with Completely Randomized Design consisting of six treatments with four replications. The results showed that the methanol extract of Nigella sativa seeds could inhibit the growth of fungal isolates from Aspergillus sp. (RMPRB2). The Methanol extract of Nigella sativa with a concentration of 2% and the positive control gave a strong inhibitory activity to the growth of Aspergillus sp. (RMPRB2) with a percentage of 100%. Concentration of 1% is the most effective result because gave a very strong inhibitory activity to the growth of fungal isolates of Aspergillus sp. (RMPRB2).

Physicochemical properties, antioxidant activity and in vitro gastrointestinal digestion of purified proteins from black cumin seeds

The main purpose of this work was to investigate some physiochemical and antioxidant properties of purified proteins of 18 kDa from black cumin seeds. The structural properties of purified proteins were characterized using Fourier Transform-Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy analysis. The Tunisian purified protein exhibited a α-helix structure and the Turkish purified protein adopted a β-sheet conformation. The thermal properties were also evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The Tunisian purified protein presented two endothermic peaks, the first one was at 76.71 °C and the second one was at 131.32 °C. However, only one endothermic peak was found for the Turkish purified protein at 157.63 °C. Both Tunisian and Turkish purified proteins were very stable towards heat-induced denaturation. In addition, the effect of pH, salt (NaCl and Na2SO4) and temperature on functional properties was investigated. The Tunisian black cumin seeds pure protein exhibited better antioxidant activity than that of the Turkish one at all tested concentrations (0.2 to 1 mg/mL) and temperatures (50 °C, 75 °C and 100 °C), as well as after gastrointestinal digestion simulation.

Effect of priming on thymoquinone content and in vitro plant regeneration with tissue culture of black cumin (Nigella sativa L.) seeds

Effect of priming on thymoquinone content and in vitro plant regeneration with tissue culture of black cumin (Nigella sativa L.) seeds

Antimicrobial and antihelminthic impacts of black cumin, pawpaw and mustard seeds in livestock production and health

The resistance of microbial strain to the use of medically important antibiotics, high cost of production, and the resistance of ecto and endoparasite to anthelminthic and acaricidal is a cause for concern. There has been intensified effort in search for alternatives to synthetic drugs. Such alternative must be able to kill, reduce, or inhibit pathogenic microbial population while improving the commensal microbes’. Black cumin (Nigella sativa Linn.), pawpaw (Carica papaya Linn.) and mustard (Brassica nigra Linn.) seeds fit into those categories. The antimicrobial functions of black seeds, is preventing the formation of biofilm among microbial strain. The glucosinolate compound in it could be degraded in 48 h by incubating it with fungi (Aspergillus sp. NR-4201) strain. Similarly, Enterobacter cloacae is capable of degrading benzyl isothiocyanate content of mustard. The 15% inclusion of mustard oil in vitro was capable of reducing methane formation. Sinapine a derivative of mustard is cable of enhancing the growth of some microbes except Escherichia coli and thus a potential probiotics. Pawpaw seed is very potent in their control of wide range of ecto and endo parasites. However, seeds of black cumin, pawpaw and mustard might be incorporated into livestock nutrition.

Antioxidant, immunostimulant and renal protective activities of tri-herbal combination in African Sharptooth Catfish, Clarias gariepinus

Medicinal herbal feed that used as feed additives are widely applied in livestockproduction and may be applicable to aquaculture production systems. Thepresent study explores the modulatory effects of incorporation of herbalcombination of black cumin seeds (Nigella sativa), peppermint (Menthapiperita) and fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), on African Sharptooth Catfish,Clarias gariepinus. For this purpose, a total of 72 catfish were randomlydistributed into 6 groups of 12 fish each and fed on the experimental diets for 45successive days. Fish of first group were fed on basic diet only while, those ofthe second one were fed on basic diet supplemented with 0.5% from eachmedicinal plant while, other 4 groups were subjected to challenge experiment byinjection with Vibrio vulnificus. The third group was kept non-injected, fourthgroup was injected by saline, fifth and sixth groups were injected by Vibriovulnificus after feeding with basic diet and basic diet with herbs, respectively.Results proved that, total antioxidant capacity, serum total proteins, albuminsand globulins were observed to be significantly higher in the treated group ascompared to the control. Lymphocytes percent increased significantly in herbalfed group comparing to the control group while, neutrophils percent decreasedsignificantly. Although serum urea level was not affected by herbal supplement,serum creatinine level was decreased significantly. Body weight gain of C.gariepinus increased significantly after herbal administration. Catfish challengedwith a Vibrio vulnificus isolate and received the herbal diet showed lessmortality than the control group. Fish fed on the herbal diet exhibited normalhistological structure of liver, kidney and spleen. In conclusion, based on thecurrent results together with the low cost and the potential antioxidant andimmune effects of mixed herbal medicinal plants used in the study, it isrecommended to be used in fish feed to diminish the mortalities caused by someaquatic pathogens.

Nigella sativa seed based nanocomposite-MnO2/BC: An antibacterial material for photocatalytic degradation, and adsorptive removal of Methylene blue from water

Antimicrobial Nigella sativa seed-based nanocomposite, MnO2/BC, was synthesized and utilized for the water purification through adsorption, and the photocatalytic degradation. MnO2/BC was prepared by co-precipitation method, and characterized using FT-IR, XRD, SEM, TEM, TGA, and DSC techniques. The composite was investigated for inhibition of bacterial cells growth. FT-IR spectrum indicated the presence of oxygenous groups on the surface; TGA and DSC showed thermal degradation; and XRD, SEM, and TEM investigations indicated amorphous, and porous nature of MnO2/BC having particle size of 190–220 nm. The nanocomposite inhibited the growth of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria cells in water. The adsorption of Methylene blue from water was investigated in batch method in terms of amount of MnO2/BC, dye concentration, pH, time, and temperature. 1.0 g L−1 of MnO2/BC removed more than 98% of Methylene blue from aqueous solution having concentration of 10 mg L−1 and pH 7.0 at 27 °C. The maximum Langmuir adsorption capacity of MnO2/BC was 185.185 mg g−1 at 45 °C. The adsorption was an endothermic process which obeyed Freundlich isotherm, and pseudo-second order kinetics. Therefore, the Methylene blue binding onto MnO2/BC surface was site-specific partially through the weak hydrogen bonding, and electrostatic interactions. The photocatalytic activity of MnO2/BC has been investigated by degrading the Methylene blue molecules/ions in water under the sunlight and 85% of degradation was achieved during 120 min irradiation. The dye was desorbed at lower pH and regenerated MnO2/BC was used for second cycle of Methylene blue adsorption. The results obtained for this study are much better than the previous Methylene blue adsorption studies with acid washed Black cumin seeds and MnFe2O4/BC for which the capacities were 73.529 mg g−1 and 10.070 mg g−1 at 27 °C, respectively (J. Mol. liq. 2018a, 264, 275–284; J. Clean. Prod. 2018a, 200, 996–1008).

Specific Proteins in Relation with Iron Overload in Experimental Study

Iron is an essential mineral for organisms and due to environment iron deficiency and pollution it is very important to understand and monitor the iron homeostasis. Thus, the concentration of iron is very important in hematological and biochemical parameters because iron is component of hemoglobin, erythrocytes, and myoglobin -being part of oxygen-binding proteins. The aim of our experiment was to try a natural protection with fresh, organic plants administration � of iron overload in rabbits. Thereby, we administrated ferrous gluconate (hydro-solution, 15g Fe2+/body weight) as intraperitoneal injection for 43 days to German Lop Eared breed rabbits, and in the same time we tried to protect the animals with a diet consisting in black cumin seeds; clover, chives, leek, parsley, coriander, rucola, radish, fenugreek - leaves; cucumber and carrots. At the end of experiment we analyzed the protein electrophoresis (albumin, a1-globulin, a2-globulin, b1-globulin, b2-globulin and g-globulin), total iron binding capacity, and transferrin concentration. The analytical results demonstrated that plant administration was beneficial for iron homeostasis and the tested blood parameters did not record significant variations between control and experimental group, which proves that diet is very important in health and homeostatic mechanisms in living organisms.

Evaluation of oxidative stability, fatty acid profile, and antioxidant properties of black cumin seed oil and extract

Black cumin is a strong aromatic seed which can be used as a nutraceutical or medicinal food. Our aim was to evaluate the fatty acid profile and oxidative stability of black cumin seed (BCS) oil as well as the antioxidant activity of water–methanol extract of BCS compared with BHT. In fact, it was going to understand what kind of fatty acids exist in BCS oil and whether is it possible to apply BCS extract as a natural antioxidant or not. The physicochemical properties of BCS oil included an iodine value of 105.17 g/100 g oil, a PV of 11.88 meq/kg, an oxidative stability index of 16.48 h, viscosity of 21.3 mPas, and a refractive index of 1.45. BCS oil contained more than 79% unsaturated fatty acids. Its saturated fatty acids were composed mainly of palmitic acid (8.38%) and stearic acid (2.26%). The BCS extract contained 955.77 mg/kg total phenolics. In a DPPH assay, the IC50 of the BCS extract was measured as 104.76 mg/mL, while for BHT it was 8.06 mg/mL. In the incubation assay, the BCS extract inhibited the formation of oxidation primary products in raw soybean oil at a concentration of 100 mg/mL. To conclude, BCS oil had a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids and in spite of its high degree of unsaturation, the presence of phenolic compounds in BCS oil led to an increase in its relative oxidative stability. Also, at higher concentrations, BCS extract can compete with BHT in terms of antioxidant effects, and thus can be added into edible oils.

Crop productivity and chemical compositions of black cumin essential oil in sole crop and intercropped with soybean under contrasting fertilization

Intercropping systems and the application of organic manures play an important role in increasing of quantity and quality of plant products. In order to evaluate the quantity and quality of black cumin products under contrasting fertilization, a factorial experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications in 2016. Soybean and black cumin seeds were sown in five planting patterns (sole black cumin, sole soybean and three intercropping ratios of soybean: black cumin (1:2): one row of soybean plus two rows of black cumin, soybean: black cumin (1:1): one row of soybean plus one row of black cumin and soybean: black cumin (2:1): two rows of soybean plus one row of black cumin. All these cropping systems were received organic manure and chemical fertilizer. The results indicated that the highest seed yield (on an average by 86 g m−2) of black cumin was achieved in sole crop of black cumin treated with organic manure. The maximum seed yield of soybean (on an average by 247 g m−2) and land equivalent ratio (1.06) was obtained in two rows of soybean + one row of black cumin under the application of chemical fertilizer. The p-cymene (20.51–62.77%), carvacrol (2.40–25.99%), longifolene (1.11–24.69%) and spathulenol (0.9–14.45%) were major chemical compositions of black cumin. The highest content of p-cymene and carvacrol of black cumin essential oil were recorded in one row of soybean + two rows of black cumin with the application of chemical fertilizer and one row of soybean + one row of black cumin under chemical fertilizer, respectively. The highest longifolene and spathulenol content was observed in one row of soybean + two rows of black cumin treated with organic manure. These major chemical compositions are useful for industrial use (food and pharmaceutical). Therefore, according to different subjects of applying in industries it could be suggested especial treatment with favorite major compounds.

Pertumbuhan Jintan Hitam (Nigella sativa L.) pada Tingkat Naungan dan Pemupukan Nitrogen yang Berbeda

ABSTRACT&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Black cumin (Nigella sativa L.) is an introduced medicinal plant therefore requires investigations to establish recommended cultivation procedure in tropical areas. Black cumin seeds contain a various bioactive compounds not only for culinary but also for medicinal purposes. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of nitrogen rates and shade levels on growth of Black cumin. The activity was carried out in Pasir Sarongge experimental station, Cianjur, West Java (1,117 masl). The research was arranged in nested design with three replications. Nitrogen rates was nested within shading levels. The shading levels consist of 0%, 25%, 50%, and 75% which resulted in light intensity of 27,800, 17,400, 11,900, and 1,600 lux respectively. The Nitrogen rates consisted 0, 60, 120, and 180 kg ha-1. The results showed that shading up to 50% did not affect plant growth and did not reduce seed production. However, shading up to 75% prolong the vegetative period, decreased leaf thickness and plant dry weight. The higher the shading level up to 50%, the higher the plant height, leaf area, number of leaves and number of flower, but not number of branche. Nitrogen fertilizer 60 kg ha-1 increased number of blooming flower and number of capsule set.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Keywords: flowering, high altitude, leaf, tropic&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;

Black Cumin Seed Oil Antidiabetogenic by Increasing Pancreatic P53 Expression

&lt;span lang="EN-US"&gt;Black cumin seed oil (BCSO) contains many thymoquinone and unsaturated fatty acids that act as antioxidants. Thymoquinone was thought to inhibit pancreatic damage and prevent hyperglycemia by involving p53. The study aim&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span lang="IN"&gt;ed&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span lang="EN-US"&gt; to determine the BCSO effect on Malondialdehyde&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span lang="IN"&gt; (MDA)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span lang="EN-US"&gt; levels and p53 expression of pancreatic tissues in alloxan-induced Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. This study used Pre and Post Test with Control Group Design with 49 male Sprague Dawley rats aged 30 days weighing 150 - 300 gram. Rats were divided into 7 groups: Group I, the normal control group receiving standard feeding and drinking; Group II, the negative control group receiving alloxan; Group III &amp;amp; IV, the treatment groups, receiving BCSO with a dose of 6.9 mg/KgBW (BCSO6.8) and 68 mg/KgBW (BCSO68 group); Group V, the positive control 1 group receiving simvastatin 10 mg/KgBW; Group VI, the positive control 2 group receiving vitamin C 18 mg/200mgBW; Group VII, the solvent control receiving DMSO. The treatment groups received two different doses per day for 9 days orally. Blood MDA and glucose levels were determined by spectrophotometry and p53 expression of pancreas tissues were read by a pathologist. The results show that the BCSO68 group had a decreased activity of MDA and glucose but a higher expression of p53 in pancreatic tissues compared to the BCSO6.8 group. Decreased Malondialdehyde levels in the BCSO68 group were similar to those in the vitamin C group but lower than those in the simvastatin group (p&amp;lt;0.05). It can be concluded that the BCSO administration of 68 mg/KgBW per day can decrease blood Malondialdehyde and glucose levels and increase p53 expression. &lt;/span&gt;