Thymoquinone as a Potential Neuroprotector in Acute and Chronic Forms of Cerebral Pathology

• Published in: Biochemistry (Moscow) Vol. 85; no. 2; pp. 167 - 176
• Main Authors: Isaev, N. K., Chetverikov, N. S., Stelmashook, E. V., Genrikhs, E. E., Khaspekov, L. G., Illarioshkin, S. N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Moscow Pleiades Publishing 01.02.2020; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Analysis; Antioxidants; Apoptosis; Benzoquinones - chemistry; Benzoquinones - pharmacology; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Bioorganic Chemistry; Brain; Brain - drug effects; Brain - metabolism; Brain - pathology; Brain diseases; Chronic Disease; Cytokines; Diagnosis; Dosage and administration; Essential oils; Head injuries; Humans; Inflammation; Ischemia; Life Sciences; Lipid peroxidation; Lipids; Materials; Membrane potential; Methods; Microbiology; Mitochondria; Neurodegenerative diseases; Neurodegenerative Diseases - drug therapy; Neurodegenerative Diseases - metabolism; Neurodegenerative Diseases - pathology; Neuroprotection; Neuroprotective agents; Neuroprotective Agents - chemistry; Neuroprotective Agents - pharmacology; Nigella sativa; Organic chemistry; Parkinson's disease; Pathology; Peroxidation; Pharmacology; Phytochemicals; Reperfusion; Review; Traumatic brain injury; Russia; thymoquinone; mitochondria-targeted antioxidants; Alzheimer’s disease; cerebral ischemia; neuroprotection; traumatic brain injury; Parkinson’s disease
• ISSN: 0006-2979; 1608-3040
• DOI: 10.1134/S0006297920020042

Thymoquinone is one of the main active components of the essential oil from black cumin ( Nigella sativa ) seeds. Thymoquinone exhibits a wide range of pharmacological activities, including neuroprotective action demonstrated in the models of brain ischemia/reperfusion, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, and traumatic brain injury. The neuroprotective effect of thymoquinone is mediated via inhibition of lipid peroxidation, downregulation of proinflammatory cytokines, maintenance of mitochondrial membrane potential, and prevention of apoptosis through inhibition of caspases-3, -8, and -9. Thymoquinone-based mitochondria-targeted antioxidants are accumulated in the mitochondria and exhibit neuroprotec-tive properties in nanomolar concentrations. Thymoquinone reduces the negative effects of acute and chronic forms of brain pathologies. The mechanisms of the pharmacological action of thymoquinone and its chemical derivatives require more comprehensive studying. In this paper, we formulated the prospects of application of thymoquinone and thymoquinone-based drugs in the therapy of neurodegenerative diseases.