Food & Nutrition

Arab Journal of Food & Nutrition
64. Effect of Black Cumin Seeds (Nigella sativa L.) on Energy Balance and Fat
Deposition in Rats (2003)
Majd R. Merie\ University of Jordan
Supervisor: Dr. Mousa Numan Ahmad
The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of black cumin seeds
(Nigella sativa L.) on energy balance and fat deposition in 55 adults Sprague Dawley
rats. Five rats were killed at the beginning of the experiment to determine the initial
body composition and energy content. The remaining fifty rats were divided into ten
groups of five rats each. Five groups were fed diets containing 10% corn oil and 0%,
1% and 2% of Nigella sativa L.seeds.
The seeds were incorporated into the diets as roasted and raw forms. Other five
groups were fed diets containing 20% corn oil and 0%, 1% and 2% of raw and roasted
Nigella sativa seeds. The ten groups were fed the prescribed diets for six weeks.
The results of this study indicated that when comparing the ten groups together
no significant differences (p>0.05) were observed in final body weight, weight gain
and energetic percentage contribution of body fat from total body energy. The 10%
and 20% fat control groups had significantly (p