Effectiveness of Nigella sativa Oil in the Management of Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients: A Placebo Controlled Study

• Published in: Phytotherapy research Vol. 26; no. 8; pp. 1246 - 1248
• Main Authors: Gheita, Tamer A, Kenawy, Sanaa A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01-08-2012; Wiley
• Subjects: Adult; Age of Onset; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - therapeutic use; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - drug therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Capsules - administration & dosage; disease activity; Drug Administration Schedule; Female; General pharmacology; Humans; immune system; Knee Joint - drug effects; Knee Joint - pathology; Medical sciences; Methotrexate - administration & dosage; Middle Aged; Nigella sativa; Nigella sativa - chemistry; Nigella sativa capsules; patients; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phytotherapy; Placebos; Plant Oils - administration & dosage; Plant Oils - therapeutic use; rheumatoid arthritis; Seeds - chemistry; Severity of Illness Index; starch; therapeutics; Human; Immunopathology; Pharmacognosy; Ranunculaceae; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Autoimmune disease; Inflammatory joint disease; Capsule; Medicinal plant; Chronic; Oil; Folk medicine; Efficiency; Dicotyledones; Rheumatoid arthritis; Angiospermae; Plant origin; disease activity; Flavoring crop; Spermatophyta; Nigella sativa capsules
• ISSN: 0951-418X; 1099-1573
• DOI: 10.1002/ptr.3679

The constituents of Nigella sativa modulate the immune system. The aim of the present work was to study the effectiveness of Nigella sativa oil in RA patients. Data from 40 female RA patients diagnosed according to the 2010 ACR/EULAR were analysed and discussed. The patients took two placebo (starch filled) capsules daily for 1 month. This was followed by a month of Nigella sativa oil capsules 500 mg twice/day. The disease activity score (DAS‐28) significantly decreased after receiving the Nigella sativa capsules (4.55 ± 0.82) compared with before and after placebo (4.98 ± 0.79 and 4.99 ± 0.72, respectively) (p = 0.017). Similarly, the number of swollen joints and the duration of morning stiffness improved. A marked improvement in the disease activity was shown by both the ACR20 and EULAR response criteria in 42.5% and 30% of the patients, respectively, after intake of Nigella. Supplementation with Nigella sativa during DMARD therapy in RA may be considered an affordable potential adjuvant biological therapy.