Black seeds anti aging properties

Zaro Agha, the 156-year-old Turk who came out of the ancient East to show the modern world what the oldest living man looks like, fell victim to modernism today [Sept. 26], and is near death. An automobile knocked him down on busy 20th-century Broadway. Physicians say his condition is critical. Agha, who came to the United States several months ago to give scientists an opportunity to marvel at him, was standing on the curb with his great-grandson, who is acting as his manager. An automobile grazed him and knocked him down, his head striking the pavement. He was taken unconscious to a drugstore and then to a hospital. The taxi driver disappeared in traffic.




Zaro Agha worked as a porter, and died in an Istanbul hospital on June 29, 1934 at the age of 164. Zaro Ağa reported in his later years that some things that may have been attributed to his long life were habit of eating yogurt, honey and black seeds on a daily basis. Agha also fathered a child at the age of 90.



There are many stories of middle eastern men retaining their vitality and libido into their later years. Habaat Sawda (Black Love, Seed) has been venerated since the ancient times in the land of Egypt and is a vital medical supplement for the majority of Middle Eastern communities.



Despite the lack of clean purified water for the average common person living in the Middle East, many people are able to extend their life's using this ancient medicine that protects the body' s internal organs and promotes overall good health.

Thymoquinone and cisplatin as a therapeutic combination in lung cancer:

Kalonji – Nigella is a small black seed, grown on Kalonji bushes. This plant originated in Turkey and/or Italy and is widely grown throughout India.


Thymoquinone (TQ) is a compound extracted from Black Caraway seeds of Nigella Sativa and is active against various cancers. Cisplatin (CDDP) is the most active chemotherapeutic agent in Lung Cancer.




Here we report activity of TQ against non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cell lines alone and in combination with Cisplatin (CDDP).



Methods: For proliferation MTT assay, cell viability trypan blue assay and for apoptosis Annexin-V FITC assay were used in NCI-H460 and NCI-H146 cell lines. Inhibition of invasion by TQ was assessed using Matrigel assay and its affect on release of various cytokines was determined using RayBio Human Cytokine detection kit.



Mouse xenograft model using NCI-H460 was used to determine in vivo activity of TQ and CDDP. Inhibition of LPS induced NF-Kappa B expression by TQ was determined using transgenic mice expressing a luciferase reporter.



Results: TQ was able to inhibit cell proliferation, reduce cell viability and induce apoptosis.



TQ at 100 uM and CDDP at 5 uM inhibited cell proliferation by nearly 90% and the combination showed synergism. TQ was able to induced apoptosis in both NCI-H460 and NCI-H146 cell lines.



TQ also appears to affect the extracellular environment inhibiting invasion and reducing the production of two cytokines ENA-78 and Gro-alpha which are involved in neo-angiogenesis. Using a mouse xenograft model we were able to demonstrate that combination of TQ and CDDP was well tolerated and significantly reduced tumor volume and tumor weight without additional toxicity to the mice.



In the combination arms (TQ5mg/kg/Cis 2.5mg/kg) tumor volume was reduced by 59% and (TQ20mg/kg /Cis 2.5mg/kg) by 79% as compared to control which is consistent with in vitro data. TQ down regulated NF-Kappa-B expression which may explain its various cellular activities and this activity may prove useful in overcoming CDDP resistance from over expression of NF-Kappa-B.



Conclusion: Thus TQ and CDDP appear to be an active therapeutic combination in lung cancer.



Author: Syed JafriJonathan GlassRunhua ShiSonglin ZhangMisty PrinceHeather Kleiner-Hancock

Credits/Source: Journal of Experimental &Clinical Cancer Research 2010, 29:87