Özet:

Nigella sativa, a member of the Ranunculaceae family, is an annual herb that grows naturally in Southern Europe and Western Asia and is cultivated in many parts of the world. In addition to being used as a spice in world cuisines, this medicinal plant, which has been used for thousands of years in Traditional Medicine Systems such as Unani, Ayurveda, Siddha and prophetic medicine aṭ-Tibb an-Nabawī and attributed to holiness, is still used in gastrointestinal disorders, skin diseases, diabetes and cancer diseases, and also for cosmetic purposes such as anti-hair loss and anti-aging skin care. Despite its widespread use, the Black Cumin (Nigella sativa) plant, which is used for medicinal purposes, is often confused with the Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena) plant, which has thorny sepals as a distinctive feature and is used as an ornamental plant; unfortunately, this confusion also exists in the scientific literature. With this study, it was aimed to raise awareness for the correct knowledge and identification of Nigella species, to summarize the pharmacological effects of bioactive phytochemicals such as thymoquinone, p-cymene, carvacrol, thymol and trans-anethole contained in Nigella sativa, and also to evaluate the studies conducted in recent years.