Table 1.

A brief summary of the reported in vitro and in vivo anti-cancer activities of N. sativa.

Activity	N. sativa
Anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects	•Stimulation of anti-proliferative effects on MCF-7 cells [26]. •Reduction in frequency of mammary papillary, comedo, and cribriform carcinoma in DMBA-induced carcinoma model [28]. •Reduction in serum levels of total sialic acid (TSA), lipid-bound sialic acid (LSA), prolactin, estradiol, progesterone, serum TNFα, tissue caspase-3 activity, and DNA fragmentation [28]. •Amelioration of diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocarcinogenesis [20]. •Induction of late-stage apoptosis and/or necrosis as well as inhibition of both DNA synthesis and cell proliferation in HepG2 cells [21], [32]. •Protection against diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocellular adenoma [23]. •Reduction of serum AFP levels, relative liver weight, and activities of hexokinase, glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase, and G6P dehydrogenase [31]. •Inhibition of the two-stage initiation/promotion of skin carcinogenesis and delays the onset of skin papilloma [25]. •Reduction of methylcholanthrene (MCA)-induced soft tissue sarcomas [25]. •Reduction in formation of pre-neoplastic lesions for colon cancer [27]. •Delay in mortality of P815 mastocytoma bearing cells [29].
Anti-oxidant and cytotoxic effects	•Induction of cytotoxic effects against HepG2, MOLT4and LL/2 cells but no effects on normal cells [33]. •Induction of cytotoxic effects against MCF-7 cells [26]. •Induction of cytotoxic effects against EAC, DLA, S-180 cells [24]. •Induction of cytotoxic effects against SCL, SCL-6, SCL-37′6, NUGC-4 cells [36]. •Reduction in expression of MDA and NO [34], [41]. •Reduction in lipid peroxides and NO levels [28]. •No effect on not affect the level or catalytic activity of aspartate-aminotransferase, alanine-aminotransferase, and gamma-glutamyltransferase [35]. •Amelioration of nephrotoxicity through reduction in creatinine and urea as well as elevation of GSH levels [37]. •Amelioration of anti-cancer drug-induced hepatic cytotoxicity [38]. •Amelioration of antibiotic-induced cytotoxicity in the thymus and spleen [39].
Anti-mutagenic effects	•Inhibition against MNNG mutagenicity [43]. •Enhancement of DNA replication and reduction in chromosomal aberrations [43].
Anti-metastatic effects	•Down regulation of t-PA, u-PA, and PAI-1 [44]. •Inhibition of liver metastasis [29].
Effects on NK cytotoxic activity	•Enhancement of helper to suppressor T cell ratio and improvement of NK cytotoxic activity [46]. •Improvement and increase in cell numbers [48]. •Enhanced killing of YAC-1 tumor cells [50]. •Increase in production of IFNγ and TNFα [49]. •Increase in production and activity of granzyme A and N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase [49]. •Suppression of NK cytotoxic activity in CMV-infected mice [52].