Therapeutic Potential of Thymoquinone and Its Nanoformulations in Pulmonary Injury: A Comprehensive Review

• Main Authors: Al-Gabri NA, Saghir SAM, Al-Hashedi SA, El-Far AH, Khafaga AF, Swelum AA, Al-wajeeh AS, Mousa SA, Abd El-Hack ME, Naiel MAE, El-Tarabily KA
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dove Medical Press 2021-07-01
• Series: International Journal of Nanomedicine
• Subjects: anticancer activity; antimicrobial activity; bioavailability; drug delivery; molecular potential; lung disease; nanoparticle; thymoquinone
• Online Access: https://www.dovepress.com/therapeutic-potential-of-thymoquinone-and-its-nanoformulations-in-pulm-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-IJN

Naif A Al-Gabri,1,2 Sultan AM Saghir,3 Sallah A Al-Hashedi,4 Ali H El-Far,5 Asmaa F Khafaga,6 Ayman A Swelum,7 Abdullah S Al-wajeeh,8 Shaker A Mousa,9 Mohamed E Abd El-Hack,10 Mohammed AE Naiel,11 Khaled A El-Tarabily12,13 1Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Thamar University, Dhamar, Yemen; 2Laboratory of Regional Djibouti Livestock Quarantine, Abu Yasar international Est. 1999, Arta, Djibouti; 3Department of Medical Analysis, Princess Aisha Bint Al-Hussein College of Nursing and Medical Sciences, AlHussein Bin Talal University, Ma’an, 71111, Jordan; 4Central Labs, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia; 5Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Damanhour University, Damanhour, 22511, Egypt; 6Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Alexandria University, Edfina, 22758, Egypt; 7Department of Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, 44511, Egypt; 8Anti-Doping Lab Qatar, Doha, Qatar; 9Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, the Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Rensselaer, NY, 12144, USA; 10Poultry Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Zagazig, 44519, Egypt; 11Animal Production Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Zagazig, 44519, Egypt; 12Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain, 15551, United Arab Emirates; 13Biosecurity and One Health Research Centre, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, AustraliaCorrespondence: Khaled A El-Tarabily Email [e-mail]: As a crucial organ, the lung is exposed to various harmful agents that may induce inflammation and oxidative stress, which may cause chronic or acute lung injury. Nigella sativa, also known as black seed, has been widely used to treat various diseases and is one of the most extensively researched medicinal plants. Thymoquinone (TQ) is the main component of black seed volatile oil and has been proven to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antineoplastic properties. The potential therapeutic properties of TQ against various pulmonary disorders have been studied in both in vitro and in vivo studies. Furthermore, the application of nanotechnology may increase drug solubility, cellular absorption, drug release (sustained or control), and drug delivery to lung tissue target sites. As a result, fabricating TQ as nanoparticles (NPs) is a potential therapeutic approach against a variety of lung diseases. In this current review, we summarize recent findings on the efficacy of TQ and its nanotypes in lung disorders caused by immunocompromised conditions such as cancer, diabetes, gastric ulcers, and other neurodegenerative diseases. It is concluded that TQ nanoparticles with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiasthma, and antitumor activity may be safely applied to treat lung disorders. However, more research is required before TQ nanoparticles can be used as pharmaceutical preparations in human studies.Keywords: anticancer activity, antimicrobial activity, bioavailability, drug delivery, molecular potential, lung disease, nanoparticle, thymoquinone