Pharmacological Profile of Thymoquinone: From Cellular Pathways to Nutraceutical Potential
Upagya Gyaneshwari, Kumari Swati, Anand Prakash, Brijesh PandeyIntroduction:
Food-derived biomolecules offer high safety, accessibility, and therapeutic potential. Nigella sativa, particularly its bioactive terpenoid Thymoquinone (TQ), exhibits various pharmacological profile, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties. This review summarizes the mechanistic roles of TQ in disease modulation and evaluates its potential for nutraceutical and pharmaceutical development.
Methods:
A systematic search of Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and SciFinder (1990-2025) identified studies on the mechanism of action of TQ in cellular pathways, such as Wnt and JAK/STAT, and in redox reactions, along with clinical/preclinical models. The keywords used as filters were: Thymoquinone, anticancer, antioxidant, Nigella sativa, hepatoprotectant, neuroprotectant, cardioprotectant, nephroprotectant, and COVID-19.
Results:
TQ effectively modulates cell cycle arrest, ROS, and apoptosis. Significant dosage variability (30 mg/kg/day to 5000 mg/kg/day) exists across models, where emerging evidence suggests TQdeficient plant parts are an underexplored resource for TQ biosynthesis.
Discussion:
TQ has high translational value as a non-toxic adjuvant to conventional therapies, potentially reducing chemotherapy side effects and improving metabolic outcomes. However, clinical adoption requires standardized dosing and improved bioavailability through novel formulation strategies.
Conclusion:
As a versatile lead compound for chronic disease management, future TQ research should prioritize standardizing dosage protocols, exploring alternative plant parts for optimize resource use, and developing high-bioavailability nutraceutical formulations to enhance therapeutic delivery.