Negilla Sativa Lipids a Potential COPD Treatment Through Elastase Activity Inhibition

Abstract

This study aims to research an inhibitor of elastase produced during the activation of neutrophils and macrophages or under the effect of reduced levels of α1 antitrypsin from Nigella sativa L. (NS) seeds, in the case of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). In this context, the effects of polar and non-polar oils from NS seeds on elastase activity in vitro were evaluated. The oil extracted from NS seeds yielded 29.21 ± 2.012%. The oil was fractionated using column chromatography (CC), resulting in five nonpolar fractions (92.12%) and three polar fractions (7.83%). Gas chromatography analysis showed that these oils are rich in unsaturated fatty acids. The inhibition of pure elastase activity was tested using the total oil and different fractions. The total oil was found to have the most potent inhibitory effect with an IC₅₀ of 129.29 ± 1.4 μg/ml, while the different fractions exerted a synergistic effect. The average concentrations of elastase in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from patients with COPD were found to be 39.19 ± 19.54 nM, with a detected enzymatic activity of 0.0149 ± 0.0037 IU/ml. The total NS oil powerfully inhibits this activity with an IC₅₀ of 104.69 ± 3.58 μg/ml. The inhibitory effect of the total oil on elastase in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (leukocyte elastase) is relatively superior to that exerted on pure elastase (porcine pancreatic elastase). The study results indicate that the polar and nonpolar oils extracted from Nigella sativa seeds possess significant inhibitory activity against elastase. This activity is primarily located in the unsaturated fatty acids of the oils.