A black seed oil standardized to contain 3% thymoquinones and a low free fatty acid content, marketed as ThymoQuin by TriNutra, was the subject of early research to examine a possible effect it might have in combination with vitamin D3’s immune-modulating activities.
 
The findings, published in the Journal of Food and Nutritional Sciences, aimed to observe the effects of this combination on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and on mice. The in vitro portion of the study treated MSCs with ThymoQuin with and without vitamin D3, and researchers recorded cell proliferation, levels of inflammatory biomarkers, changes in lipid droplet number and size, adipocyte differentiation, mitochondrial biogenesis, and stem cell function.
 
MSCs are seen as a practical option to explore immune effects as they can modulate inflammatory responses and sense different inflammatory signals. Additionally, the animal portion of the study examined mice which were fed a high-fat diet, broken into four groups. Three groups received either ThymoQuin, vitamin D3, or both during the last eight weeks of the diet.
 
While ThymoQuin alone was linked to significant changes in the measured outcomes, the combination of ThymoQuin and vitamin D3 showed the most significant improvements across the board, the authors of the study concluded. Black seed oil with a very high free fatty acid content was significantly less effective at inducing these changes compared to any of the other outcomes, and as such, the authors concluded that a low free fatty acid content is a must in order to achieve clinical significance.
 
The combination of vitamin D3 and ThymoQuin also was unique in that it dramatically reduced average lipid droplet size and effectively increased the small lipid droplet area. Additionally, there was a recognizable increase in mitochondrial activity and healthy regulation of inflammatory cytokines.
 
This study will open the door for further research into the immune modulating properties that might be unique to supplementing with a combination of standardized black seed oil and vitamin D3, Morris Zelkha, co-founder and CEO of TriNutra, said.
 
“I have long discussed the synergistic properties that are unique to black seed oil standardized to 3% thymoquinone and with very low free fatty acids,” Zelkha said. “While previous focus has been mainly on its synergy with omega-3s, we are happy to share the results of ThymoQuin combined with vitamin D3 for improved immune support. Vitamin D3 is commonly recognized as a necessary part of good health, so seeing that we can enhance its effects with ThymoQuin opens a lot of possibilities for new products and further research.”