A Systematic Review of the Potential Effects of Nigella sativa on Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Considering the different untoward effects of the drugs prescribed for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), there has been an increasing interest in adjuvant therapies devoid of such unfavorable reactions. Although the beneficial effects of () on RA have been established, it seems that its mechanisms of action have not still been reviewed. The present review is designed to evaluate the effects of on RA systematically. We searched these electronic databases until April 2019: PubMed, Scopus, ISI Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, Ovid, ProQuest, and Google scholar. No restriction was conducted based on language or publication date. We selected all of the related clinical, animal, and studies. Review papers, abstracts in conferences, book chapters, and papers regarding the effects of combined with other herbs, as well as articles regarding the effects of on other diseases, were excluded. Each article was assessed critically for the possible risk of bias. Nineteen articles were reviewed. Animal and investigations supported the favorable effects of on clinical, inflammatory, oxidative, and immunologic parameters on RA, whereas results of limited clinical studies did not illustrate any change or improvement of inflammatory and oxidative biomarkers in RA. could control RA via multiple ways such as decreasing inflammation, inhibiting oxidative stress, and modulating the immune system. This paper provides persuasive clues to defend the efficacy of in RA and justifies the significance of subsequent clinical trials.