Anti-inflammatory potential of black cumin seed oil and its nanoemulsion formulation against lipopolysaccharide-induced liver injury in mice

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of black cumin seed oil (BCSO) and its nanoemulsion on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced liver injury in mice. Methods: LPS-induced acute liver injury mouse model was used to evaluate the effects of BCSO and its nanoemulsion formulation on liver function. Hepatic inflammatory markers including Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), interleukin(IL)-1β, heme-oxygenase 1, BAX, and BCL-2 were assessed using real-time PCR. Additionally, protein levels of reduced glutathione, tumor necrosis factor-α, and IL-6 were measured using ELISA, and histological analysis was performed. Indomethacin was used as a standard positive control for comparison. Results: BCSO reduced LPS-induced liver injury and exhibited strong anti-inflammatory effects by downregulating the expression of TLR4, IL-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and heme-oxygenase 1. Additionally, BCSO demonstrated antioxidant properties by increasing reduced glutathione protein levels and decreasing key apoptotic markers BAX and BCL-2 in hepatocytes. The nanoemulsion formulation further enhanced these anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-apoptotic effects, and histological examination confirmed this effect. Combining BCSO with indomethacin at a lower dose improved efficacy, thereby reducing its potential side effects. Conclusions: The investigation reveals the anti-inflammatory impact of BCSO and its nanoemulsion formulation on LPS-induced liver oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis.

Keywords

Black cumin seed oil / Liver inflammation / Lipopolysaccharide / Oxidative stress / IL-6 / TLR4 / Apoptosis

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Funding

The authors received no extramural funding for the study.

Data availability statement

The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding authors upon request.

Authors’ contributions

HH and HA developed the study’s conception and design. HH and RH performed experimental study, data collection, and analysis. SS prepared the nanoformulation of BCSO. RH and HH wrote the first draft of the manuscript. HH, RH, SS, and HA contributed to reviewing, editing, and investigation on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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