• The active principles of N.sativa seeds containing certain fatty acid was studied for antitumor activities against Ehrlich ascities carcinoma (ECA), Dalton lymphomia ascities (DLA and Sarcoma 180 (5 180) cells. A 50% cytotoxicity has been observed at the dose of 1.5 mg, 3 mg and 1.5 mg, respect with little activity against lymphocytes (Salomi et.al. 1992).
  
  

• The ethanolic extract of the seeds in a dose of 200 mg/kg could exert little (20 %) inhibition of copper acetate induced ovulation in rabbits (Vohora et al. 1973). The aqueous, ethanolic (90%) and the other extracts of the seeds administered orally did not show antinplantation and resorptive activity in abhino rats (Prakash and mathur, 1976) but revealed significant estrogenic activity in immature rats (Maurya et al 1983).
  
  

• The alcoholic extract of N.Sativa seeds was inhibitory to E.coli, S.aureus, whilst the aqueous extract was inactive (Kurup, 1956). The petroleum extract was found active against M.pyogenes, B.subtilis, D.pneumoniae and S. pyrogens (Bhatnagar, et.al 1961).
  
  

• The ethanolic extract (50 %) of N.Sativa showed antiprotozoal activity against E.histolytica strain STA (Dhar et.al., 1968). The essential oil from seeds showed in vitro anthelmintic activity against earthworm and tape worm, the action being comparable with that of piperazine phosphate (Agarwal et.al. 1979).
  
  

• The ethanolic extract (50%) of N.Sativa seeds showed hypotensive action in cat/dog, weak spasmolytic activity in isolated guinea pig ileum and extract a CNS depressant effect in mice. It also showed antagonism to amphetamine hyperactivity in nice and anticancer activity against Lewis lung carcinoma (Dhar et.al 1968). the volatile oil of seeds of N.sativa has an anti spasmodiceffect possibly due to the calcium autagonistic activity (aquel 1993).
  

• Seeds extracts from N.sativa has been shown its ability to prevent dental caries (Namba et.al 1985) while seed oil has shown insecticide activity (Deshpande et.al. 1974), brorichodilator (Mahfouz et.al 1962; El Dakhakhny, 1965; Mahafouz et.al. 1996), immunopotentiating (El kadi and Kandil, 1987) and hypotensive activities.
  
  

• A 33 % reduction in the tumor mass has been observed in experimental soft issue sarcoma induced by methylcholanthrene after treatment with N.sativa extract at the dose of 100 mg/kg for 30 days (Salomi et.al.1991).
  
  

• An aqueous extract of N.sativa showed a marked reduction of ulcer index in Acetylsalicylic acid induced ulcer in rats. The extract of N.sativa also decreased the volume of gastric juice in ASA treated rats without effect on mucin activity. Qualitative changes in hexose and fructose in contents of carbohydrates were also found (Akhtar et.al. 1996).
  
  

• The essential oil from the seed showed antibacterial activity against B.subtilis, B.shigella dysenteriae, Sh.boydi (Bhargava and Chauhan, 1968), B,anthracis, B.pumilus, Sal.paratyphi, Sh.sonnie (Agarwal et.a1.1979) and B.cereus, Staph. albus, staph aureus, E.coli and Sal.typhi (Barghava and chauhan, 1968 and Agarwal et.al.1979)
  
  

• The essential, oil from the seeds was active against C.albicans, A.niger, A.flavus, M.gypseum and Trichoderma viride (Agarwal et.al. 1979).
  
  

• The essential oil from seeds and the unsaponifiable matter showed a depressant action on the frog heart. The oil had a relaxant effect on the isolated smooth muscle of rat. The unsaponifiable matter showed a CNS depressant action as well as spasmogenic effect on the isolated rat ileum (Agarwal et.al. 1979).
  
  

• Volatile oil of N.sativa seeds inhibited the contractions of rabbit and guinea pig tracheal smooth muscle, induced by acetylcoline and histamine, respectively (Aquel 1992). Also this oil inhibited the contractions of vascular smooth muscle of rabbit induced by norephineprine (Aquel,1992).
  
  

• The fixed oil of N.sativa inhibited the cycooxygenase and 5 lipooxygenease pathways of arachidonate metabolism in rat peritoneal leukocytes stimulated with calcium ionophore A23187, as shown by dose dependent inhibition of Thromboxane and leukotriene, respectively. The prostaglandin syntheses inhibitory activity of fixed oil of N.sativa supports its use as an antiinflammatory and antirheumonic drug in the traditional system of medicine (Houghtonet.a1.1995).
  
  

• The effect of the volatile oil of N.sativa seeds on the cellular polypeptides of Jurkat T.Leukaemia cells was analyzed using two diamentional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and silver staining. Two ploypeptide spots with MW of 24 kDa and isoelctric points of 5.3 (acidic protein) were changed in their intensity following N.sativa treatment. These results suggest that the changes in the protein spots as a result of N.sativa treatment may reflect a role in its biological effects) through posttranslation modification of the protein (Hailatet.al. 1995)
  
  

• At the dose of 1 ml/kg body weight p.o the oil of N.sativa showed significant NS depressant activity and a very marked analgesic effect in mice (Khanna et.al. 1993).
  
  

• In the test with 37 isolated of shigella species and 10 strains of V.cholerae and E.coli, the volatile seed oil of N.sativa showed promising antibacterial activity against all the strins except one of S.dysenteriae. The MIC of the oil was between 50 to 400 mg/ml for the various strains. These result indicate that the seed oil has therapeutic potential for the treatment of Diarrhea (Ferdous et.al. 1992).
  
  

• Nigella seed oil decreased the arterial blood pressure and the heart rate in a dose dependent manner in anethetised dogs. The CVS depressant effects were mediated mainly centrally via indirect and direct mechanism that involved both tryptaminergic and muscarinic mechanisms. Seed oil of Nigella sativa possess the potential of being a potent centrally acting antihyper tensive agent (Al Tahir et.al.).
  
  

• Nigella sativa oil produced dose dependent increase in the respiratory rate and the intratracheal pressure. These effects were antagonised by the pretreatment of mepyramine, atropine and reserpine. Thymoquine present in Nigella oil may be responsible for increasing the intratracheal pressure without any effect in the respiratory rate. The respiratory effects of Nigella seed oil were mediated via the release of histamine with direct involvement of histaminnergic mechanism and indirect activation of muscarinic cholinergic mechanisms (EITahir et.al. 1993).

Ethnomedical studies have revealed that the seed of Nigella Sativa has been used in various forms to treat the following conditions such as:

Cardiovascular diseases, Scabies in children, Stomach Ache, Diabetes Mellitus, Bronchial asthma and chronic cough, to regularise menses, provoke urine, increase secretion of milk, as a condiment and health promotive agent after childbirth.

It has