Black seed oil reverses chronic antibiotic-mediated depression and social behaviour deficits via modulation of hypothalamic mitochondrial-dependent markers and insulin expression.

Chronic antibiotic use has been reported to impair mitochondrial indices, hypothalamus-mediated metabolic function, and amygdala-regulated emotional processes. Natural substances such as black seed (Nigella sativa) oil could be beneficial in mitigating these impairments. This study aimed to assess the impact of black seed oil (NSO) on depression and sociability indices, redox imbalance, mitochondrial-dependent markers, and insulin expression in mice subjected to chronic ampicillin exposure.