(black seed) safety: an overview.

(commonly known as black seed or black cumin), from the family Ranunculaceae, is a plant that grows in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. This narrative review discusses the toxicological profile reported by short- to long-term studies that examined different extracts and oils of seeds. Scientific databases including Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched using appropriate keywords. LD for administered seed fixed oil varied from 28.8 mL/kg to 3,371 mg/kg in mice, while 21 g/kg of aqueous, methanol, and chloroform extracts of did not lead to any mortality. Subacute toxicity evaluations indicated that aqueous, methanol, and chloroform extracts of at doses as high as 6 g/kg do not produce toxicity. Investigation of chronic toxicity found that 2 mL/kg of fixed oil is slightly toxic. Cytotoxicity studies indicated that chloroform and petroleum ether extracts are more cytotoxic than its other extracts. Although studies that assessed toxicity generally introduced it as a safe medicinal herb, to draw a more definitive conclusion on its safety, more detailed studies must be conducted.