The industrial potential of herbs and spices - a mini review.

Abstract

Herbs and spices have been used for food and medicinal purposes for centuries - the first recorded evidence of their use dates back to 1500BC and the Ebers Papyrus, which mentioned spices such as anise, mustard, saffron, cinnamon, and cassia. Now, in the 21st century, a variety of secondary compounds produced by plants are used in many fields of industry, such as food production (to improve taste, to provide vitamins and macro- and microelements, and also to inhibit food spoilage caused by foodborne bacteria), in medicine (in the treatment of various diseases; in chemoprevention and cancer therapy; as a source of natural antimicrobials for the treatment of infectious disease), and in pharmacology and cosmetology (in dietary supplements, and as a result of the demand for preservative-free cosmetics, to reduce the risk of methylparaben allergies). The aim of this review is to present the major active compounds in herbs and spices and explore their potential applications in industry.

• Authors: Katarzyna B Leja, Katarzyna Czaczyk
• Journal: Acta scientiarum polonorum. Technologia alimentaria (Acta Sci Pol Technol Aliment) 2016 Oct-Dec Vol. 15 Issue 4 Pg. 353-365 ISSN: 1898-9594 [Electronic] Poland
• PMID: 28071013 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Anti-Infective Agents
• Phytochemicals
• Plant Extracts

Topics

• Anti-Infective Agents (analysis, pharmacology)
• Bacterial Infections (drug therapy)
• Cardiovascular Diseases (drug therapy)
• Chemoprevention
• Cough (drug therapy)
• Food Technology
• Gastrointestinal Diseases (drug therapy)
• Humans
• Kidney Diseases (drug therapy)
• Neoplasms (drug therapy)
• Phytochemicals (analysis, pharmacology)
• Plant Extracts (analysis, pharmacology)
• Plants, Medicinal (chemistry)
• Psychophysiologic Disorders (drug therapy)
• Spices (analysis)
• Urinary Bladder Diseases (drug therapy)