Nigella Sativa and Thymoquinone: Recent Advances in Diabetes and Cardiometabolic Care

Nigella sativa known as black cumin, is a traditional medicinal plant that has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic and Unani medicine.It has attracted significant scientific interest for its potential in managing diabetes and heart-related issues.The main active ingredient, thymoquinone, has strong pharmacological effects, such as lowering blood sugar, reducing high blood pressure, and protecting the heart.This review highlights recent advancements in understanding the plant's chemistry, how it works, and its medical uses in diabetes and heart health.It includes both preclinical and clinical studies that show thymoquinone's ability to boost insulin secretion, enhance insulin sensitivity through AMPK-GLUT4 signalling pathways, reduce oxidative stress by activating Nrf2/HO-1, inhibit inflammation via NF-κB, and improve heart health through better endothelial function.Recent developments in nanoformulation technologies, like liposomal and nano-emulsion delivery systems, have greatly improved how well thymoquinone is absorbed in the body.Safety studies show good tolerability at therapeutic doses, but consistent quality control and standardization remain important challenges.This review points out key gaps in research and explores future directions, such as combining thymoquinone with standard diabetes treatments, personalized medicine, and large-scale randomized clinical trials.The growing evidence suggests that Nigella sativa and thymoquinone could be valuable additional treatments for type 2 diabetes and cardiometabolic syndrome.