The anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic activity of Nigella sativa

The aqueous extract of Nigella sativa (N. sativa) was investigated for anti -inflammatory, analgesic and antipyretic activities in animal models. The e xtract has an anti-inflammatory effect demonstrated by its inhibitory effec ts on Carrageenan induced paw edema. It also produced significant increase in the hot plate reaction time in mice indicating analgesic effect. However , N. sativa crude suspension had no effect on yeast induced pyrexia. This s tudy therefore, supports its use in folk medicine both as analgesic and ant i-inflammatory agent and calls for further investigations to elucidate its mechanism of action. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science ireland Ltd. All rights rese rved.