Novel anti-breast cancer unsaturated fatty acids isolated from Nigella sativa L.

Nigella sativa L. has been used for thousands of years as a remedy for various disorders due to its broad spectrum pharmacological action including anticancer, antifungal, anthelminthic, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, etc. A methanolic extract was prepared using the seeds of Nigella sativa L. Column chromatographic purification using silica gravity column using the methanolic extract led to the isolation of two compounds. The structures of the compounds were elucidated using NMR (1H, 13C, HSQC, HMBC) and HRMS spectral data. The isolated compounds were found to be (9Z,12Z)- 17- propyloctadeca- 9,12-diene-1,3,7,18- tetraol(I) and (9Z,12Z,15Z)-17-hydroxy- (hydroxymethyl)- 7-((Z)- 10-iododec-6-en-1-yl) heptadeca-9,12,15-trienoic acid(II). The isolated compounds were tested for anticancer properties and both of them showed promising results (4.69± 0.09 μg/ml and 9.88± 0.17 μg/ml respectively) in MDA-MB-231 cell lines.