THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL OF NIGELLA SATIVA OIL CREAM FOR ECZEMA TREATMENT: FORMULATION, STABILITY AND CLINICAL ASSESSMENT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22159/ijap.2026v18i2.54168Keywords:
Clinical assessment, Eczema, Herbal cream formulation, Nigella sativa, StabilityAbstract
Objective: This study was aimed at developing and evaluating a stable topical cream based on the Nigella sativa oil and to establish the therapeutic value of the product in the moderate to severe patients with the eczematous patients.
Methods: Nigella sativa oil was cold-pressed to obtain it and its composition was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The prepared cream formulations were tested on physicochemical characteristics, microbial quality, and stability in accelerated conditions. The most stable formulation (Formula 3) was 30 d clinically tested on 18 patients with moderate to severe eczema.
Results: GC–MS analysis showed that thymoquinone was the major component, and it represented 64.17 percent of the 18 components identified. Formula 3 had the optimum viscosity (23,300±18.6 cps), spreadability (14.28±0.1 g•cm/s), and stability among the four formulations. The clinical assessment revealed that there was a dramatic improvement of the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) score, at baseline: 18.9± 4.1 and 6.2±2.3, after 30 days (p<0.001). No adverse effects were observed.
Conclusion: Nigella sativa oil cream was stable, safe, and clinically effective in the reduction of the symptoms of eczematous lesions. Such results endorse its prospect as a natural remedy of eczema, though bigger controlled clinical studies are advisable to corroborate the status.
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