More Research to Determine Using Nigella Sativa in COVID Vaccines

Various plants are available around the world that has solid medicinal values to prevent or cure human diseases. According to the International Journal of Health Sciences, many of these plants have been prescribed for thousands of years and were even popularized by the Prophet Muhammad. One such plant is Black Seed, also known as black cumin (Nigella sativa). It is prevalent in various traditional medicines such as Unani and Tibb, Ayurveda, and Siddha. Prophet Muhammad once stated, “The black seed can heal every disease, except death.”

Knowing the historical medicinal value of Black Seed, some have considered the plant for treatment of COVID-19. At present, results from at least one clinical trial using black seed and honey have been published in a preprint publication (meaning the study has not been peer-reviewed). Over three hundred patients who were ill with COVID-19 participated in the study. Along with their standard care, patients with COVID-19 received either a placebo or honey along with Black Seed. Honey and Black Seed resulted in an approximately 50 percent reduction in the time taken to alleviate COVID-19 symptoms compared to those receiving the placebo. 

In a review published in a peer-reviewed open-access journal in June 2020, the potential of Black Seed to treat patients with COVID-19 was analyzed. Various randomized controlled trials, pilot studies, case reports, and in vitro and in vivo studies confirmed that Black Seed (N.sativa) has antiviral, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, bronchodilatory, antihistaminic, and antitussive activities related to COVID-19. 

Researchers concluded that Black Seed could be used as adjuvant therapy and repurposed conventional drugs to manage the patients with COVID-19. However, the researchers advised that more randomized controlled trials are required to confirm the potential beneficial effects of Black Seed to treat the patients with COVID-19 as alternative herbal medicine.

Based on the potential medicinal properties of Black Seed, others are also calling for preclinical and clinical trials to delineate the mechanism of Black Seeds active components and to investigate their efficacy and potency under specific conditions of COVID‐19.

Black Seed appears to have tremendous potential to be used in the treatment or prevention of COVID-19 based on known medicinal properties and preliminary research. However, experts are cautioning that more controlled research is needed to determine the best way forward in using Black Seed for COVID-19 treatment.