Phytochemical evaluation of Nigella sativa seed cake (NSSC) and their antioxidant and antiglycation potential

Nigella sativa seed cake (NSSC), the residual by-product left after oil extraction, remains widely underutilized despite its potential to contain valuable bioactive compounds. Due to scarce research, it is often discarded as agro-industrial waste or used for low-value purposes like feed or fertilizer, with little attention to its health benefits. In response to this gap, the present study aimed to determine the phytochemical composition of NSSC and evaluate its antioxidant and antiglycation activities. Ethanolic and aqueous extracts were prepared through maceration technique. Phytochemical screening using standard qualitative assays revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols and tannins, steroids, saponins, cardiac glycosides, and terpenoids in both extracts. Antioxidant capacity was assessed through DPPH radical scavenging and FRAP reducing power assays. Although ethanol yielded a higher extraction percentage (19.6%) than water (6%), the aqueous extract exhibited stronger antioxidant activity, reflected by its lower DPPH IC₅₀ value (1.679 ± 0.2155 mg/mL) compared to the ethanolic extract (3.536 ± 0.4522 mg/mL). The aqueous extract also showed higher FRAP reducing power, with a greater ascorbic acid equivalent (0.4177 ± 0.0184 mg/mL) at 50 mg/mL than the ethanolic extract (0.2887 ± 0.01185 mg/mL). Antiglycation activity measured using a BSA–glucose model further demonstrated superior activity in the aqueous extract, shown by its lower IC₅₀ value (0.7287 ± 12.56 mg/mL) compared to the ethanolic extract (1.968 ± 24.49 mg/mL). In conclusion, NSSC shows moderate antioxidant and antiglycation potential, with the aqueous extract showing the strongest potential for low-cost health-related applications

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