Enhancement of Female Rat Fertility via Ethanolic Extract from Nigella sativa L. (Black Cumin) Seeds Assessed via HPLC-ESI-MS/MS and Molecular Docking.
Ahmed M NagyMohamed F AbdelhameedAsmaa S Abd ElkarimTushar C SarkerBasharat A DarAbdelsamed A ElshamyAbdelmohsen M HammamPublished in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (2024)
The characteristic chemical composition of Nigella seeds is directly linked to their beneficial properties. This study aimed to investigate the phytochemical composition of Nigella sativa seeds using a 100% ethanolic extract using HPLC-ESI-MS/MS. Additionally, it explored the potential biological effects of the extract on female rat reproduction. Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Luteinizing Hormone (LH), Estrogen (E2), and Progesterone (P4) hormone levels were also assessed, along with the morphological and histological effects of the extract on ovarian, oviductal, and uterine tissues. Molecular docking was performed to understand the extract's activity and its role in regulating female reproduction by assessing its binding affinity to hormonal receptors. Twenty metabolites, including alkaloids, saponins, terpenes, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and fatty acids, were found in the ethanolic extract of N. sativa seeds through the HPLC-ESI-MS/MS study. The N. sativa seed extract exhibited strong estrogenic and LH-like activities ( p < 0.05) with weak FSH-like activity. Furthermore, it increased the serum levels of LH ( p < 0.05), P4 hormones ( p < 0.001), and E2 ( p < 0.0001). Molecular docking results displayed a strong interaction with Erβ, LH, GnRH, and P4 receptors, respectively. Based on these findings, N. sativa seeds demonstrated hormone-like activities, suggesting their potential as a treatment for improving female fertility.
Keyphrases
- ms ms
- molecular docking
- oxidative stress
- liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry
- molecular dynamics simulations
- anti inflammatory
- fatty acid
- gene expression
- risk assessment
- metabolic syndrome
- high performance liquid chromatography
- simultaneous determination
- young adults
- insulin resistance
- breast cancer cells
- endoplasmic reticulum
- climate change
- capillary electrophoresis