Digital Chinese Medicine (Jun 2023)
Liver-protectant and cardiovascular-protectant effects of Nigella sativa: a meta-analysis
Abstract
Objective: A significant amount of evidence has lately revealed that individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD) are at high risk of cardiovascular diseases, which is the primary cause of death in patients. This study is to evaluate liver- and cardiovascular-protectant effects of Nigella sativa (N. sativa). Methods: The meta-analysis was performed using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The literature review was conducted in June 2022 with papers retrieved from the PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane Library websites from January 2010 to December 2021. The Review Manager version 5.3 was applied for the statistical analysis of parameters like aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) levels, lipid profil, blood glucose level, weight, and body mass index (BMI). Results: The results showed that N. sativa could significantly decrease the AST (P = 0.009) and ALT (P 0.05). Conclusion: N. sativa did have certain liver-protectant and cardiovascular-protectant effects on patients with NAFLD or chronic liver diseases (CLD), despite the insignificant comparison of body weight and BMI between the N. sativa group and the placebo group.