REVIEW article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Food Chemistry
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1592423
This article is part of the Research TopicPlant-Based Foods: the Impact of Processing on HealthView all 4 articles
Therapeutic efficacy of Nigella sativa and Ziziphus lotus: Sustainable strategies for diabetes, antimicrobial resistance, and health treatment
Provisionally accepted
- 1Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, AlAin, United Arab Emirates
- 2College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, AlAin, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
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The pharmacological potential of Nigella sativa and Ziziphus lotus, two medicinal plants native to the United 12 Arab Emirates (UAE), is explored in the context of sustainable healthcare strategies. Both plants have 13 demonstrated notable antidiabetic and antimicrobial effects in preclinical studies. For instance, thymoquinone 14 from Nigella sativa has shown glucose-lowering efficacy comparable to metformin in rodent models, while 15 Ziziphus lotus extracts have outperformed acarbose in inhibiting carbohydrate-digesting enzymes. This paper 16 synthesizes findings from ethnobotanical surveys, pharmacological research, and clinical literature to assess 17 their therapeutic relevance. Additionally, it addresses challenges in standardization, sustainable harvesting, 18 and environmental influence on phytochemical composition. While current evidence is promising, gaps 19 remain in clinical validation and regulatory integration. This review aims to inform future research and policy, 20 supporting the incorporation of UAE-native medicinal plants into evidence-based healthcare practices.
Keywords: antimicrobial resistance, diabetes management, medicinal plants, phytochemical analysis, 9 traditional medicine. 10
Received: 12 Mar 2025; Accepted: 15 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Alraish, Shaaban and Almasri. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Seham Alraish, Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, AlAin, United Arab Emirates
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.