Nigella sativa oil as a treatment for gingivitis: A randomized active–control trial

Objective: To assess the clinical anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial efficacy of Nigella sativa oil compared with chlorhexidine in patients with gingivitis. Methods: A double-blind, randomized clinical trial was conducted in patients having chronic generalized gingivitis. Patients were randomly assigned to receive Nigella sativa oil (n=18) or chlorhexidine (n=19). The following assessments were made on day 0 and day 15: plaque index, gingival index, gingival IL-6 and IL-18 levels were measured using ELISA, plaque colony-forming units, and alpha-hemolytic Streptococcus strains. Data were analyzed using parametric and non-parametric tests and Fisher's exact test. Results: Both interventions reduced plaque index and gingival index scores (P0.05). The post-intervention plaque index and gingival index scores and inflammatory cytokine levels between the two groups were not significantly different. Both interventions caused a significant reduction in the plaque colony-forming units (P