Nigella sativa seed extract

This study assessed the efficacy of a bivalent IBV vaccination (H120/D274) against GI-23 (variant II) and the antiviral and immunostimulatory properties of dietary Nigella sativa plus β-glucan (NSG). A total of 186 one-day-old broiler chicks were used as follows: 1st group (n=42) received IBV vaccine (prime: 7- and post: 14- day of age) (VAX), 2nd group (n=42) received the additive without vaccination (NSG), 3rd group (n=42) received both the vaccine and additive (VAX-NSG), and 4th group (n=60) received neither vaccine nor additive (CTRL). The 4th group was subdivided on the challenging day to negative (CTRL-N) and positive (CTRL-P) control subgroups. All groups except CTRL-N were challenged via naso/ocular route with IBV Variant II at 14 days post 2nd vaccination (PV). Clinical protection, antibody titers, cytokine expression, immune organ indices, viral shedding, and renal and tracheal histopathological lesions were evaluated. Body weight loss% at 1-week post-challenge (pc) in VAX, NSG, and VAX-NSG was 28.47%, 31.28%, and 23.54%, respectively, compared to CTRL-P (43.72 %) (P<0.05). Remarkably, NSG group showed milder tracheal and renal histopathological lesions than VAX group at 3 and 7 dpc, while VAX-NSG group displayed normal histology. Oropharyngeal IBV shedding was successfully reduced by the vaccination regimen; the VAX-NSG group showed the lowest level (P<0.05). Splenic IL-6 and TNF-α mRNA expression was upregulated at 3- and 7-dpc in CTRL-P birds (P<0.05). They were significantly downregulated in VAX-NSG, VAX, and NSG groups (P<0.05). At 7 dpc, IBV reduced the CTRL-P group's bursa, thymus, and spleen indices (P<0.05) that were significantly reversed in other challenged groups. VAX, NSG, and VAX-NSG groups induced higher lacrimal IgA titers than the control (P<0.05) at weekly intervals PV; while pc, they were lower than CTRL-P (P<0.05). However, serum IgG titers were higher in the VAX group than VAX-NSG group PV, and the opposite was observed at 7 and 10 dpc (P<0.05). Conclusion, the combination of dietary NSG with the heterologous IBV vaccine (H120/D274) showed synergistic effects to stop variant II viral shedding by the 10th dpc, increase anti-inflammatory effects, prevent renal and tracheal histopathological lesions, and significantly reduce body weight loss post challenge.

Nigella sativa (NS) has been widely used and investigated in several pediatric studies; however, its safety and efficacy in pediatrics are yet to be evaluated. This systematic review evaluates the clinical uses, safety, and efficacy of NS in pediatrics.

The search was conducted across 4 databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane, up to September 6, 2023, and included clinical trials using NS in pediatrics. A methodological quality assessment was performed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized trials (Rob 2). A meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate safety. The systematic review follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.

Two hundred sixty-five studies were screened for eligibility, including 125 papers from Scopus, 31 from PubMed, 37 from Cochrane, and 72 from the Web of Science. Sixty-eight duplicate papers were eliminated, and 185 studies were excluded. Three studies were added from snowballing. Fifteen clinical trial studies were included in this review. Limited studies have been conducted on NS in pediatrics. Based on the meta-analysis, no statistically significant side effects have occurred. Different doses and forms of NS were used, and most studies have reported improvements in the outcomes.

More high-quality studies are needed to establish the efficacy of using NS in different diseases, along with its effective dose and form. The studies in this review report no severe adverse effects and no statistically significant occurrence of side effects. However, further studies are needed to fully understand the safety of using NS in pediatrics.