REVIEW: Thymoquinone as a Potential Neuroprotector in Acute and Chronic Forms of Cerebral Pathology

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N. K. Isaev^1,2,a*, N. S. Chetverikov², E. V. Stelmashook¹, E. E. Genrikhs¹, L. G. Khaspekov^1,b*, and S. N. Illarioshkin¹

¹Research Center of Neurology, 125367 Moscow, Russia

²Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Biology, 119991 Moscow, Russia

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received July 16, 2019; Revised November 12, 2019; Accepted November 28, 2019

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Thymoquinone is one of the main active components of the essential oil from black cumin (Nigella sativa) seeds. Thymoquinone exhibits a wide range of pharmacological activities, including neuroprotective action demonstrated in the models of brain ischemia/reperfusion, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, and traumatic brain injury. The neuroprotective effect of thymoquinone is mediated via inhibition of lipid peroxidation, downregulation of proinflammatory cytokines, maintenance of mitochondrial membrane potential, and prevention of apoptosis through inhibition of caspases-3, -8, and -9. Thymoquinone-based mitochondria-targeted antioxidants are accumulated in the mitochondria and exhibit neuroprotective properties in nanomolar concentrations. Thymoquinone reduces the negative effects of acute and chronic forms of brain pathologies. The mechanisms of the pharmacological action of thymoquinone and its chemical derivatives require more comprehensive studying. In this paper, we formulated the prospects of application of thymoquinone and thymoquinone-based drugs in the therapy of neurodegenerative diseases.

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KEY WORDS: thymoquinone, cerebral ischemia, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, traumatic brain injury, mitochondria-targeted antioxidants, neuroprotection

DOI: 10.1134/S0006297920020042

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