Nutritional composition, fatty acids, bioactive compounds, and antioxidant activity of Nigella sativa seed grown in Bangladesh

Abstract Black cumin seeds are extensively utilized for foods, cosmetics, and medicinal purposes. The current investigation was undertaken to analyzse the nutritional values, fatty acid compositions, bioactive compounds, and antioxidant roles of different black cumin genotypes available in Bangladesh. The genotype BSK-2074 had a higher content of proximate composition of crude oil (35.17%), crude protein (23.51%), total carbohydrate (35.23%), moisture (6.54%), ash (3.74%), crude fiber (8.12%), and gross energy value (644.88 kcal/100 g) than the released varieties and cultivars of black cumin available in Bangladesh. The major fatty acid profile of the seed-oil of the BSK-2074 genotype revealed that the oil contained a high amount of linoleic (59.39%), oleic (25.72%), palmitic (13.11%), and stearic (2.25%) acids, as well as a low amount of arachidic, linolenic, myristic, behenic, palmitoleic, lignoceric, and eicosadienoic acids. Moreover, the genotype BSK-2074 contained a high amount of unsaturated (UFAs, 85%), and low content of saturated (SFAs, 18%) fatty acids, and the ratio of UFAs to SFAs was higher (4.39–5.37). Again, the seeds of the genotype BSK-2074 were also enriched in different minerals, viz., calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc. Moreover, total phenolic contents (TPC) and flavonoid contents (TFC) were found significantly higher in the genotype BSK-2074 (478.47 ± 7.33 mg GAE/100 g and 284.07 ± 2.08 mg QE/100 g, respectively) than the local Kalozira variety (316.48 ± 2.33 mg GAE/100 g and 120.53 ± 3.57 mg QE/100 g) found in Bangladesh. The activities of antioxidants 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) were found significantly higher in BSK-2074 (37.93% and 129.65 ± 0.19 mg GAE/100 g), than the local Kalozira variety (98.09% and 193.75 ± 0.19 mg GAE/100 g). Thus, the new genotype, BSK-2074, was identified and suggested as the most promising and nutritionally enriched genotype of black cumin.