N. sativa belongs to Ranunculaceae family and is an annual herbaceous plant which mainly grows in various parts of southern Europe and some parts of Asia, including Syria, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and India.
This widely distributed plant is native to Arab countries and other parts of the Mediterranean region.
For thousands of years, this plant has been used in many Asian, Middle Eastern and Far Eastern Countries as a spice and food preservative. The use of its seeds and oil is common for treatment of many diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, inflammatory diseases, diabetes and digestive diseases.
The seeds are very rich and diverse in chemical composition. The seeds of Nigella sativa contain a volatile oil (0.5- 1.6%), a fixed oil (35.6-41.6%), proteins (22.7%) and amino acids. The seeds have also been found to contain fats, crude fiber, minerals; e.g., Fe, Na, Cu, Zn, P, Ca and vitamins like ascorbic acid, thiamine, niacin, pyridoxine and folic acid.
Black seed (Nigella sativa)
