SavedAdd your journal

Journals / International Journal of Secondary Metabolite / 2026 / Volume: 13 Issue: 1

A comparative investigation of phytochemical contents and bioactivities of DMSO extracts obtained from black cumin and sesame seed oils

Aleyna Öğreten(MANİSA CELÂL BAYAR ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0009-0001-9975-8916
Erdal Eroğlu(Manisa Celal Bayar Üniversitesi)0000-0001-7281-3906
Pages
—
Publication Date
2026-03-09
🏛️Bibliographic metadata and full text access for this article are provided via DergiPark.
DergiPark Record ↗
✨

AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

DMSO as an extractant, presenting an alternative extraction technique to concentrate phytochemicals in herbal oils, was introduced in this study.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Although herbal oils have been studied for their well-known biological activities, the immiscibility of oils in aqueous solutions limits the accuracy of the in vitro assays, such as anticancer, antibacterial, antioxidant capacity, and total phenol content.
📊
Key Findings & Data:In bioactivity tests, the MTT cell proliferation assay against human bladder cancer (T-24) for anticancer activity and the agar disk diffusion assay against S. aureus and E. coli for antibacterial activity were carried out.
💡
Conclusion & Impact:DMSO as an extractant, presenting an alternative extraction technique to concentrate phytochemicals in herbal oils, was introduced in this study.
🔬Design:Research Article
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:DMSO extract · Black cumin oil · Sesame oil

Abstract

Although herbal oils have been studied for their well-known biological activities, the immiscibility of oils in aqueous solutions limits the accuracy of the in vitro assays, such as anticancer, antibacterial, antioxidant capacity, and total phenol content. In this study, we report phytochemical content analysis and biological activities of DMSO extracts obtained from black cumin (D-bc) and sesame (D-s) seed oils in vitro. Folin-Ciocalteu assay for phenol contents, aluminum chloride calorimetric assay for flavonoid contents, and CUPRAC assay for antioxidant capacities were performed to determine phytochemicals in the DMSO extracts. In bioactivity tests, the MTT cell proliferation assay against human bladder cancer (T-24) for anticancer activity and the agar disk diffusion assay against S. aureus and E. coli for antibacterial activity were carried out. According to content analysis, D-bc and D-s were determined to contain a significant amount of phenols with 8455.29±0.05 and 42882.48±0.05 µg gallic acid equivalent/g extract and flavonoids with 967.70±0.02 and 828.70±0.03 µg catechin equivalent/g extract, respectively. The antioxidant capacity was 6.98 mM Trolox equivalent for D-bc and 1.25 mM Trolox equivalent for D-s. Besides, both extracts showed antibacterial activity against S. aureus. According to the MTT cell proliferation test, the IC50 values after 48 h treatment of the D-bc and D-s were determined to be 0.2% and 0.55% against T-24 cells, respectively. DMSO as an extractant, presenting an alternative extraction technique to concentrate phytochemicals in herbal oils, was introduced in this study.

Özet

Although herbal oils have been studied for their well-known biological activities, the immiscibility of oils in aqueous solutions limits the accuracy of the in vitro assays, such as anticancer, antibacterial, antioxidant capacity, and total phenol content. In this study, we report phytochemical content analysis and biological activities of DMSO extracts obtained from black cumin (D-bc) and sesame (D-s) seed oils in vitro. Folin-Ciocalteu assay for phenol contents, aluminum chloride calorimetric assay for flavonoid contents, and CUPRAC assay for antioxidant capacities were performed to determine phytochemicals in the DMSO extracts. In bioactivity tests, the MTT cell proliferation assay against human bladder cancer (T-24) for anticancer activity and the agar disk diffusion assay against S. aureus and E. coli for antibacterial activity were carried out. According to content analysis, D-bc and D-s were determined to contain a significant amount of phenols with 8455.29±0.05 and 42882.48±0.05 µg gallic acid equivalent/g extract and flavonoids with 967.70±0.02 and 828.70±0.03 µg catechin equivalent/g extract, respectively. The antioxidant capacity was 6.98 mM Trolox equivalent for D-bc and 1.25 mM Trolox equivalent for D-s. Besides, both extracts showed antibacterial activity against S. aureus. According to the MTT cell proliferation test, the IC50 values after 48 h treatment of the D-bc and D-s were determined to be 0.2% and 0.55% against T-24 cells, respectively. DMSO as an extractant, presenting an alternative extraction technique to concentrate phytochemicals in herbal oils, was introduced in this study.

🔖

Cite This Article

Öğreten, A., Eroğlu, E. (2026). A comparative investigation of phytochemical contents and bioactivities of DMSO extracts obtained from black cumin and sesame seed oils. International Journal of Secondary Metabolite, Volume: 13 Issue: 1. https://doi.org/10.21448/ijsm.1640050

📄 Full Text PDF Viewer

📄

PDF görüntüleyici hazırlanıyor...

References (40)

  1. Agbaria, R., Gabarin, A., Dahan, A., & Ben-Shabat, S. (2015). Anticancer activity of Nigella sativa (black seed) and its relationship with the thermal processing and quinone composition of the seed. Drug design, Development and Therapy, 9, 3119–3124. https://doi.org/10.2147/DDDT.S82938
  2. Alara, O.R., Abdurahman, N.H., & Ukaegbu, C.I. (2021). Extraction of phenolic compounds: A review. Current Research in Food Science, 4, 200-214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crfs.2021.03.011
  3. Al-Farsi, M., & Lee, C. (2008). Optimization of phenolics and dietary fibre extraction from date seeds. Food Chemistry, 108(3), 977-985. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2007.12.009
  4. Al-Mamun, M., Parves, R., Ghafoor, K., Rukshana, A.H., Chowdhury, T., Ferdosh, S., Azad, A.K., Sarker, M.Z., & Absar, N. (2018). In vitro antioxidant activities of black cumin seeds oil and computational evaluation of thymoquinone and thymohydroquinone as inhibitors of EGFR tyrosine kinase. In Preparation and Processing of Religious and Cultural Foods, 173-192. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-101892-7.00009-2
  5. Apak, R., Güçlü, K., Ozyürek, M., Esin Karademir, S., & Erçağ, E. (2006). The cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity and polyphenolic content of some herbal teas. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 57(5-6), 292–304. https://doi.org/10.1080/09637480600798132
  6. Arab, R., Casal, S., Pinho, T., Cruz, R., Freidja, M.L., Lorenzo, J.M., Hano, C., Madani, K., & Boulekbache-Makhlouf, L. (2022). Effects of seed roasting temperature on sesame oil fatty acid composition, lignan, sterol and tocopherol contents, oxidative stability and antioxidant potential for food applications. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 27(14), 4508. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27144508
  7. Arici, M., Sagdic, O., & Gecgel, U. (2005). Antibacterial effect of Turkish black cumin (Nigella sativa L.) oils. Grasas Y Aceites, 56(4), 259–262. https://doi.org/10.3989/gya.2005.v56.i4.90
  8. Bopitiya, D., & Madhujith, T. (2013). Antioxidant activity and total phenolic content of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) seed oil. Tropical Agricultural Research, 24(3), 296 302. https://doi.org/10.4038/tar.v24i3.8015
  9. Breijyeh, Z., Jubeh, B., & Karaman, R. (2020). Resistance of Gram-Negative Bacteria to Current Antibacterial Agents and Approaches to Resolve It. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 25(6), 1340. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25061340
  10. Chen, P., Tsai, C.E., Chang, H., Liu, T., & Lee, C. (2005). Sesamol induces nitric oxide release from human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Lipids, 40(9), 955–961. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-005-1456-3
  11. Dalli, M., Bekkouch, O., Azizi, S.E., Azghar, A., Gseyra, N., & Kim, B. (2021). Nigella sativa L. Phytochemistry and pharmacological activities: A Review (2019 2021). Biomolecules, 12(1), 20. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom12010020
  12. Effenberger, K., Breyer, S., & Schobert, R. (2010). Terpene conjugates of the Nigella sativa seedoil constituent thymoquinone with enhanced efficacy in cancer cells. Chemistry & biodiversity, 7(1), 129 139. https://doi.org/10.1002/cbdv.200900328
  13. Eroglu, E., & Girgin, S.N. (2021). A unique phenolic extraction method from olive oil macerate of Hypericum perforatum using DMSO: Assessment of in vitro anticancer activity, LC-MS/MS profile, total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity. South African Journal of Botany, 139, 6 11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2021.01.015
  14. Hoang, B.X., Han, B.O., Fang, W.H., Tran, H.D., Hoang, C., Shaw, D.G., & Nguyen, T.Q. (2023). The rationality of implementation of dimethyl sulfoxide as differentiation-inducing agent in cancer therapy. Cancer diagnosis & prognosis, 3(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.21873/cdp.10172
  15. Jawaher, A.J. (2024). Phytochemical composition, in vitro antioxidant, and anticancer activities of cold pressed oil from sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Journal of Biobased Materials and Bioenergy, 18(3), 515-522. https://doi.org/10.1166/jbmb.2024.2398
  16. Khader, M., & Eckl, P.M. (2014). Thymoquinone: an emerging natural drug with a wide range of medical applications. Iranian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences, 17(12), 950-957.
  17. Kola, O. (2014). Short note - Comparative analysis of physicochemical characteristics and fatty acid composition of seeds of black cumin, poppy, safflower and sesame. Rivista Italiana Delle Sostanze Grasse, 92, 211–217.
  18. Kumar, S., & Pandey, A.K. (2013). Chemistry and biological activities of flavonoids: an overview. The Scientific World Journal, 2013, 162750. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/162750
  19. Luaces, P., Pascual, M., Pérez, A.G., & Sanz, C. (2021). An easy-to-use procedure for the measurement of total phenolic compounds in olive fruit. Antioxidants, 10(11), 1656. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox10111656
  20. Lutterodt, H., Luther M., Slavin M., Yin J.J., Parry J., Gao J.P., & Yu L. (2010). Fatty acid profile, thymoquinone content, oxidative stability, and antioxidant properties of cold-pressed black cumin seed oils. LWT – Food Science and Technology, 43, 1409 1413. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2010.04.009
  21. Majdalawieh, A.F., & Mansour, Z.R. (2019). Sesamol, a major lignan in sesame seeds (Sesamum indicum): Anti-cancer properties and mechanisms of action. European Journal of Pharmacology, 15(855), 75-89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejphar.2019.05.008
  22. Mbarek, L.A., Mouse, H.A., Elabbadi, N., Bensalah, M., Gamouh, A., Aboufatima, R., Benharref, A., Chait, A., Kamal, M., Dalal, A., & Zyad, A. (2007). Anti-tumor properties of blackseed (Nigella sativa L.) extracts. Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research, 40(6), 839–847. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0100-879X2006005000108
  23. Moazzami, A.A., & Kamal‐Eldin, A. (2006). Sesame seed is a rich source of dietary lignans. Journal of the American Oil Chemists Society, 83(8), 719–723. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11746-006-5029-7
  24. Morsi, N.M. (2000). Antimicrobial effect of crude extracts of Nigella sativa on multiple antibiotics-resistant bacteria. Acta microbiologica Polonica, 49(1), 63–74.
  25. Morsy, M.K., Sami, R., Algarni, E., Al-Mushhin, A.A.M., Benajiba, N., Almasoudi, A., Almasoudi, A.G., & Mekawi, E. (2022). Phytochemical Profile and Antioxidant Activity of Sesame Seed (Sesamum indicum) By-Products for stability and shelf-life improvement of refined olive oil. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), 11(2), 338. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox11020338
  26. Paixão, N., Perestrelo, R., Marques, J.C., & Câmara, J.S. (2007). Relationship between antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content of red, rosé and white wines. Food Chemistry, 105(1), 204 214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2007.04.017
  27. Rabiej-Kozioł, D., & Szydłowska-Czerniak, A. (2024). Antioxidant potential evaluation at various stages of black cumin oil production. Foods, 13(21), 3518. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13213518
  28. Rasul, M.G. (2018). Extraction, isolation and characterization of natural products from medicinal plants. International Journal of Basic Sciences and Applied Computing, 2, 1-6.
  29. Sachdeva, C., & Kaushik, N.K. (2021). Spices-Reservoir of health benefits. In IntechOpen eBooks. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.96471
  30. Sarma, L., Chakraborty, S., Das, M., & Duary, R.K. (2019). Optimization of ultrasound-assisted extraction of phenolic compounds from Sesamum indicum. Natural Product Research, 34(1), 1 6. https://doi.org/10.1080/14786419.2018.1564294
  31. Shahidi, F., & Zhong, Y. (2010). Lipid oxidation and improving the oxidative stability. Chemical Society Reviews, 39(11), 4067. https://doi.org/10.1039/b922183m
  32. Shi, L.-K., Zheng, L., Jin, Q.-Z. and Wang, X.-G. (2017), Effects of adsorption on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, lipid characteristic, oxidative stability, and free radical scavenging capacity of sesame oil. European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology, 119(12), 1700150. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejlt.201700150
  33. Soleimanifar, M., Niazmand, R., & Jafari, S.M. (2018). Evaluation of oxidative stability, fatty acid profile, and antioxidant properties of black cumin seed oil and extract. Journal of Food Measurement and Characterization, 13, 383-389. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11694-018-9953-7
  34. Soobrattee, M., Neergheen, V., Luximon-Ramma, A., Aruoma, O., & Bahorun, T. (2005). Phenolics as potential antioxidant therapeutic agents: Mechanism and actions. Mutation Research/Fundamental and Molecular Mechanisms of Mutagenesis, 579(1 2), 200 213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mrfmmm.2005.03.023
  35. Sricharoen, P., Techawongstein, S., & Chanthai, S. (2015). A high correlation indicating for an evaluation of antioxidant activity and total phenolics content of various chilli varieties. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 52(12), 8077–8085. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-015-1931-z
  36. Tesarova, H., Svobodova, B., Kokoska, L., Marsik, P., Pribylova, M., Landa, P., & Vadlejch, J. (2011). Determination of oxygen radical absorbance capacity of black cumin (Nigella sativa) seed quinone compounds. Natural Product Communications, 6(2), 213 216. https://doi.org/10.1177/1934578X1100600214
  37. Uslu, M.E., Erdogan, I., Bayraktar, O., & Ateş, M., (2013). Optimization of extraction conditions for active components in Equisetum arvense extract. Romanian Biotechnological Letters, 18(2), 8115-8131.
  38. Yoshida, H., Hirakawa, Y., & Takagi, S., (2020). Roasting influences on molecular species of triacylglycerols in sesame seeds (Sesamum indicum). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 80, 1495–1502.
  39. Yuan, H., Ma, Q., Ye, L., & Piao, G. (2016). The traditional medicine and modern medicine from natural products. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 21(5), 559. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules21050559
  40. Zeb, A., Muhammad, B. & Ullah, F. (2017). Characterization of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) seed oil from Pakistan for phenolic composition, quality characteristics and potential beneficial properties. Journal of Food Measure, 11, 1362–1369. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11694-017-9514-5