Bioactive Potential of Nigella sativa (Black Seed): Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, and Anticancer Activities Across Extraction Methods

Nigella sativa L. (black seed) is among the most commonly used medicinal plants and is well-known for its high content of bioactive ingredients and its various pharmacological activities. This work explores the antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticancer properties of Nigella sativa seed extracts from various extraction methods: water (hydrodistillation and decoction), ethanolic and methanolic extractions, and cold press oil. The methanol FT ex-tracts had the highest TPC (2.93 mg GAE/g) and TFC (1.89 mg QE/g), and this was associated with the highest protective antioxidant efficacy in the FRAP, ABTS and DPPH tests. The antibacterial and antifungal activities of the extracts were evaluated with clinically significant bacterial and fungal strains. Methanol and ethanol extracts showed the most inhibitory activity with 17 mm of inhibitory zone and water and oil extracts showed the low-er inhibitory activity. Cytotoxicity on PC-3 prostate cancer cells in vitro was also assessed by means of the MTT assay. The data obtained exhibited a significant concentration-dependent decrease in cell viability, where the methanol extract showed the greatest antiproliferative effects, reaching a percentage decrease in growth of 48.49% at the highest tested concentration. These results indicate that the choice of solvents has a substantial effect on the extraction yield and bioactivities of Nigella sativa. The better activities of methanol and ethanol extracts demonstrate the potential of them as a natural source for the development of antioxidants, antimicrobials, and anticancer that can be employed in nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and therapeutic products. KEY WORDS: Nigella sativa, antioxidant activity, antimicrobial activity, anti-cancer potential and extraction methods.