Chemical Content and Biological Activity Spectrum of Nigella sativa Seed Oil

Abstract

In this study, it was aimed to investigate the chemical composition and biological activities including antioxidant, anticholinesterase, antimicrobial and urease activity of Nigella sativa seed oil growing in Muğla (Köyceğiz). The oil of plant was obtained using Soxhlet apparatus. Thirty-one components of the oil were determined by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The major components of oil were detected as palmitic acid (10.48%), linoleic acid (8.05%), o-cyemene (7.11%), 3,5-dimethyl cyclohexanol (6.68%), thymoquinone (6.44%), p-tert-buthyl catechol (6.28%) and 8-methyl-1-undecene (3.28%). The findings obtained from biological activity assays showed that Nigella sativa oil was a promising candidate that can be used in the discovery of new drugs and the preparation of new natural drug preparations.