Effects of Nigella sativa seed oil as adjuvant therapy for type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients

To evaluate the effectiveness of Nigella Sativa seed oil as adjuvant therapy for type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients. Forty three Egyptian patients with type 2 DM on oral hypoglycemic drugs were enrolled in this study. Patients were divided into two groups. Group I comprised patients on their standard antidiabetic drug regimen, and group II comprised patients on their standard antidiabetic drug regimen in addition to Nigella sativa seed oil. All patients were followed for 6 months. Parameters to evaluate glycemic control included Fasting Blood Glucose (FBG), Post Prandial Blood Glucose (PPBG) and Glycated Haemoglobin (HbA1c). Glycemic control parameters were measured at the beginning of study, after 3 months of therapy and after 6 months of therapy. To evaluate the antioxidant effect of Nigella sativa, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were measured before therapy and after 6 months of therapy. In addition, serum C-peptide, lipid profile, liver and kidney functions were assessed at the beginning and end of study. Nigella sativa administration for six months significantly improved FBG, PPBG and HbA1c. In addition, SOD and Gpx were significantly increased after six months of treatment with Nigella sativa. Nigella sativa at a dose of 900 mg daily improved glycemic control in type 2 DM patients maintained on oral hypoglycemic drugs. Evaluation of the effect of Nigella sativa as an antioxidant in reducing complications of type 2 DM in further studies is supported by the positive findings of this study on SOD and Gpx.