European Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine

Introduction: Psoriasis is a common, chronic auto- immune disorder affecting a significant proportion of the population. It frequently affects the skin, musculoskeletal system, the gastrointestinal system and the eye, and is characterized by itchy red patches with scales which tend to flare in a cyclical manner. Due to the inexistence of a standardized cure for the disease, and the unsatisfactory results with the conventional drugs and treatments in use owing to the side effects and the development of drug resistance, 95% ethanolic extract of Nigella sativa was evaluated for its antipsoriatic activity.  Aim: To evaluate the Antipsoriatic Activity of Ethanolic Extract of Nigella Sativa in Propranolol Induced Psoriasis in Guinea Pigs. Materials and methods Study was conducted in the central animal house in Government Thoothukudi Medical College, Thoothukudi between December 2021 and March 2022 after receiving approval by Institutional Animal Ethical Committee of Government Thoothukudi Medical College, Thoothukudi, dated – 07/06/2019. 12 guinea pigs were divided into 3 groups, with 4 animals in each group. All the three groups received 0.1mg of 1% propranolol orally on a daily basis, for 14 days. In addition to it, they also received intradermal injections 2mL of Complete Freund’s Adjuvant(CFA) once a week for two weeks. After the induction of psoriasis, Group 1 was used as positive control. Group 2 was given standard drug 0.1% Tazarotene topically for 14 days, and Group 3 was given 95% ethanolic extract of Nigella sativa applied topically for 14 days. The psoriasis severity was calculated using the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) before and after the use of the drugs, and the antipsoriatic action of the ethanolic extract of Nigella sativa was assessed by using Mann Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis test to analyse the association between the variables with p value less than 0.05 was taken as significant. Results: Considering day 14 to be the cut off for assessing the changes in the lesion, Group 1 animals did not show any reduction in the area or severity of lesions. The group 2 animals which were treated with Tazarotene showed a rapid decline in the psoriasiform lesions with an average PASI score reduction from (5.5 to 1.5). Considering day 14 to be the cut off for assessing the changes in the lesion, Group 3 animals after being treated with topical ethanolic extract of Nigella sativa showed an appreciable reduction in the severity of the lesion with an average PASI score reduction from 5.5 to 3.25. The erythema, induration, desquamation and the surface area of the lesions were considerably diminished. Conclusion The ethanolic extract of Nigella sativa was found to have a significant antipsoriatic effect on the induced lesion, when compared with control group.