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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 12 No. 2 (2025)

Investigation of Nigella sativa seed ethanolic extract using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and study of its antibacterial activity against different bacterial species

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.4561
Submitted
5 August 2024
Published
10-03-2025 — Updated on 01-04-2025
Versions

Abstract

Medicinal plants are one of the valuable natural resources that developed countries today consider to be safe alternative medicines for humans. The current study focused on Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) investigations and the antibacterial properties of Nigella sativa (N. sativa) seed extract. The maceration process, the soxhlet method and suitable extraction solvents have all been used to create various extracts from N. sativa seeds. The GC-MS analyses identified around 25 chemical compounds with known bioactivities and/or uses that are crucial for the treatment of illnesses that pose a serious hazard to life. Using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) and Well diffusion methods, the seed extract demonstrated antibacterial activity against Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium) bacteria with varying degrees of efficacy. The antibacterial activity of the extract was dose-dependent and more potent against Gram-positive bacteria than Gram-negative bacteria. Considering the findings of this study, N. sativa seed extracts contain a variety of chemical elements associated with their antibacterial capabilities.

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