Effects of Nigella sativa and its constituents on total white blood cells count and airway responsiveness value in ovalbumin-induced asthma models: A preclinical systematic review and meta-analysis

Mohammadzadeh, Elmira; Ghobadi, Hassan; Mohammadshahi, Jafar; Aslani, Farzin; Boskabady, Mohammad Hossein; Aslani, Mohammad Reza

doi:10.22038/ajp.2025.25965

Effects of Nigella sativa and its constituents on total white blood cells count and airway responsiveness value in ovalbumin-induced asthma models: A preclinical systematic review and meta-analysis

Document Type : Review Article

Authors

Elmira Mohammadzadeh ¹

Hassan Ghobadi ¹

Jafar Mohammadshahi ¹

Farzin Aslani ¹

Mohammad Hossein Boskabady ²

Mohammad Reza Aslani ³

¹ Ardabil University of Medical Sciences Ardabil Iran

² Physiology

³ Department of physiology, Ardabil university of medical sciences

10.22038/ajp.2025.25965

Abstract

Objective: Evidence indicates that Nigella sativa (NS) and its key compounds such as carvacrol, thymoquinone, thymol, and α-hederin exhibit properties that reduce inflammation, act as antioxidants, and modulate the immune system. This meta-analysis investigated the preclinical evidence of NS reported in animal models of ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma.
Materials and Methods: Studies done on NS and its components in animal models of OVA-induced asthma in all published articles up to July 2024 were searched in Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science databases. The studies underwent assessment of methodological quality utilizing the 15-point CAMARADES checklist. MedCalc software was utilized for performing the data analysis.
Results: Sixteen studies involving a total of 486 animals, with 243 in the intervention group and 243 in the ovalbumin-induced group were analyzed. In the meta-analysis results, it was shown that NS and its components notably decreased total white blood cells (WBC), eosinophils, lymphocytes, and neutrophils. Additionally, NS caused a shift in the half of the maximum effective concentration (EC50) curve to the right and decreased the maximum response rates and tracheal OVA-response in experimental animals.
Conclusion: NS, and its components, could potentially influence asthma induced by OVA in animals by improving airway responsiveness and exhibiting anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. Consequently, it is recommended that NS be evaluated in additional clinical trials for patients with asthma.

Keywords

Asthma Nigella sativa Carvacrol Thymol Thymoquinone Alpha

hederin Ovalbumin Meta

analysis

Subjects