Black Seed (Nigella sativa) As Antimicrobial Drug: A Mini-Review

Introduction Undoubtedly, antibiotics, the marvelous drugs of the 20th century, have successively reduced the human mortality and morbidity during their golden period (from 1950s to 1970s) [1]. However, pathogens have gradually developed resistance to these miracle drugs. Recently, the antibiotics resistance has become a serious global health concern, with a huge economic burden on the community by increasing the cost of the treatment and raises the rates of hospitalization, particularly in the developing countries which already suffers from economic crises, poor sanitation and misuse of antibiotic drugs [2]. So far, it turns out that the development of new antibiotics, which are costly and time-consuming process, has become useless, as pathogens rabidly develop resistance to these new antibiotics. This has led to an increasing interest in searching for effective alternatives for the current antibiotics with different mode of action on microbes. Hence, medicinal plants appeared to be the best alternative source for new antimicrobial drugs [3]. In literature, numerous studies reported that some plant’s photochemical compounds have potent antimicrobial activity, such as Phenolics, flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, saponins, tannins, anthraquinones, among others; which may kill the bacteria or fungal cells by inhibiting the growth, affect on cellular membrane permeability, interference with some metabolic processes and modulating the signal transduction or gene expression [4]. Accordingly, with the urgent need for new antimicrobial drugs, the efforts toward innovate new antibiotics must behaves different approaches and get benefit from the hidden treasures of medicinal plants. A plethora of scientific research has been published on the bioactivity and medicinal properties of the seeds of Nigella sativa, This mini-review highlights the significance of this plant product as an alternative and promising source for new antimicrobial drugs.