Anti Mycobacterium tuberculosis activity of Thymoquinone, in vitro

Present study aimed to investigate the activity of thymoquinone, an active principle of Nigella saliva, against clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Mycobacteria were inoculated in Middlebrook broth in MGIT tubes and Middlebrook agar in culture tubes. Both sets had OADC growth supplement and contained either thymoquinone 2.5, 5, 10, 20, 40, 80 mu g/ml or streptomycin 1.25 mu g/ml, or controls and were incubated at 37 degrees C. In broth tubes growth was tested by BACTEC Micro-MGIT fluorometer daily for 14 days and in agar tubes by visual observation for 4 weeks, In both sets MIC with thymoquinone was 20 mu g/ml. no growth of mycobacteria was seen with streptomycin and abundant colonies found in controls. To conclude, thymoquinone possesses anti-tuberculous activity and has the potential for further investigations.