HDAC inhibition by Nigella sativa L. sprouts extract in hepatocellular carcinoma: an approach to study anti-cancer potential

A wide variety of natural products have been widely used in chemoprevention therapy because they have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activity. In the present study, we shed light on the 5th day germinated sprouts of N. sativa seeds and evaluated them against HDAC inhibition and antioxidant activity. The extract from the seed and sprout was extracted and characterised by LC-MS/MS, FTIR, and NMR to reveal its chemical composition, especially thymol (THY) and thymoquinone (TQ). Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a global health concern as it is a major lifestyle disease. Hence, incorporating herbal-based therapeutic compounds into everyday routines has become an attractive alternative for preventing hepatic diseases. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibition (HDACi) is emerging as a promising therapeutic strategy for managing various carcinomas including HCC. Therefore, the 5th day of N. sativa can be used as a potential anticancer agent by inhibiting HDAC activity, as it is reported to have an important role in the management of oxidative stress. The bioactive compound of N. sativa, i.e. thymoquinone, also showed a good binding affinity with the HDAC protein (3MAX) with a stable interaction in an in silico study as compared to the standard drug (Trichostatin A) and thymol.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma