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. 2019 Feb 21;9(1):22–37. doi: 10.15171/apb.2019.004

Table 1. Protective effects of Nigella sativa and its constituent thymoquinone against some heavy metals in different tissues .

Food Toxins Food Source Targets Treatment Conditions Main Findings Ref.
Arsenic Rice, vegetables, seafood Neurotoxicity In vivo, rat, TQ: 10 µM The neurotoxicity decrease was due to antioxidant potential of TQ 5
Testicular Toxicity In vivo, rat, TQ: 10 mg/kg/d TQ could protect against arsenic-induced testicular injury. 6
Renal Failure In vivo, rat, TQ: 10 mg/kg/d TQ plays a protective role against arsenic-induced toxicity in the kidney. 7
Neurotoxicity In vivo, rat, TQ: 10 mg/kg/d TQ can reduce the neurotoxic effect of arsenate. 8
Cadmium Shellfish, mushroom , grains Hepatotoxicity In vivo, mice, TQ: 10 µM TQ protected against cadmium-induced through its antioxidant oxidative stress. 9
Mercury Fish Nephrotoxicity In vivo, rat, TQ, 10 mg/kg/d Antioxidant effect of TQ prevents acute renal failure due to mercury toxicity. 10
- - Nephrotoxicity In vivo, rat, TQ (5 mg/kg/d, per os); Protective effect of TQ against Pb-induced renal antioxidant capacity impairment 11
Neurotoxicity In vivo, rat, TQ:20 mg/kg b.w TQ decreased the incidence of lead acetate-induced pathological lesions. 12
Aluminum (AL chloride) Air, but not in its metallic form, in the food industry, drinking water, pharmaceutica and cooking utensils. Cerebellar toxicity In vivo, rat, NS oil:(1 ml/kg) orally N. sativa may play a protective role against Al-induced cerebellar toxicity in humans. 13
Iron Water, iron supplement Hematotoxicity In vivo, Rabbit N. Sativa and Oriental Spices N. sativa can be effective for health protection and health enhancement of organism. 14
Reduce toxicity In vivo, rat, TQ: 0.005M TQ can inhibit the toxicity of some metals. 15
Chromium Leather tanning, electroplating and stainless steel industries Genotoxicity In vivo, Tilapia and Zebrafish crude extract Nile of N. sativa:0.5 mg/kg Inhibition may be mediated through antioxidant activity and inhibition of Cr(VI) enzymatic activation. 16
Reduce toxicity In vivo. Rat, TQ: 500 µM TQ can be beneficial for eliminating Cr(VI) toxicity 17