Table 4.
Effect of Nigella sativa, Rosmarinus officinalis, and Thymus vulgaris on dyspnea
| Compound | Study design | Doses/Duration | Results | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N. sativa SBAE | 29 asthmatic patients | 15 ml/kg of 0.1 g%, PO boiled extract, 3 months, | ↑PFTs, FVC, MMEF | (114) |
| N. sativa SBAE | 15 asthmatic patients | 50, 100 mg/kg, PO | ↑ PFTs ↓ Extract effects on PFTs compared to theophylline |
(115) |
| Boiled N. sativa seed | 18 chronic asthmatic patients | 100 mg/kg, 21 days, inhalation | ↑ FEV1%, FVC ↓ Asthma attacks |
(116) |
| N. sativa oil | 60 Asthmatic patients | 500 mg, twice daily, 4 weeks, PO | ↑ ACT score, FEV1 ↓ Blood eosinophils |
(117) |
| N. sativa oil | 76 patients with partially controlled asthma | 1, 2 g/day, 3 months, PO | ↑ FEV1 and FEF 25-75%, PEF, 6 and 12 weeks | (118) |
| N. sativa SBAE | 40 chemical war victims | 0.375 ml/kg/bw, PO (50 mg/ml extract), 2 months | ↑PFTs, FVC, FEV1 ↓Wheezing, coughing |
(119) |
| N. sativa oil | 91 COPD patients | 1 g, twice daily, 3 months, PO | ↑CAT, GPx, GSH, SOD, vitamin C, and E, PFTs ↓IL-6, TBARS, TNF-α |
(120) |
| N. sativa plus vitamin D3 | 120 COVID-19 patients, mild/moderate |
N. sativa: 900 mg vitamin D3: 2,000 IU, 2 weeks, PO |
↓ symptoms (cough, dyspnea, fatigue) | (121) |
| R. officinalis leaves extract | 44 asthmatic patients resistant to routine treatments | 50 ml (each one ml contained 200 mg herbal extract), three times a day, for a month, PO | ↑ ACT scores ↓ Coughing, sputum production, wheezing, exhaled air nitric oxide |
(137) |
| R. officinalis hydroalcoholic extract | 77 COPD patients | 500 mg, twice a day, 2 months, PO | ↑ gains in IADL after controlling for OSA | (138) |
| 1,8-cineol | 32 steroid-dependent asthmatic patients | 200 mg, three times a day, 12 weeks, PO | ↓ Daily prednisolone dose Absence of ↓ prednisone on PFTs |
(139) |
| T. vulgaris powder | 60 mild to moderate asthma-exacerbated child | 20 mg/kg, three times a day, for a week, PO | ↑ FEV1 ↓Activity-induced cough |
(146) |
| T. vulgaris oil | COVID-19 patients | Three times a day, 5 days, inhalation | ↑ SPO2 ↓Cough, shortness of breath, respiratory rate |
(147) |
ACT: Asthma control test; CAT: Catalase; COPD: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; COVID-19: Coronavirus disease 2019; FEF: Forced expiratory flow; FEV1: Forced expiratory volume in 1 second; FVC: Forced vital capacity; GPx: Glutathione peroxidase; GSH: Glutathione; IADL: Instrumental activities of daily living; IL-6: Interleukin-6; MMEF: Maximal mid-expiratory flow; OSA: Obstructive sleep apnea; PO: Per Os (by mouth); PCR: Polymerase chain reaction; PEF: Peak expiratory flow; PEFR: peak expiratory flow rate; PFTs: Pulmonary function tests; SBAE: Seed boiled aqueous extract; SOD: Superoxide dismutase; SPO2: Peripheral oxygen saturation; TBARS: Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances; TNF-α: Tumor necrosis factor-alpha