Science of Spices and Culinary Herbs - Latest Laboratory, Pre-clinical, and Clinical Studies

Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) is a highly valued multipurpose fruit tree indigenous to tropical Africa. T. indica is extensively used in traditional medicine and has been widely studied. Different authors have provided reviews on the various aspects of tamarind, with a focus on its traditional uses, ecology, phytochemistry and pharmacology. Limited studies on the preclinical and clinical aspects of tamarind have been explored in most reviews. Even less attention has been given to the use of tamarind as a spice or a culinary herb. This chapter reviews the health benefits of tamarind as a spice and a culinary herb. It also explores the choice of tamarind use over other spices and how it is utilized to improve people’s livelihoods. The ethnomedicinal uses of tamarind are supported with recent scientific evidence from preclinical and clinical studies. The threats to the sustainable use of tamarind, particularly environmental degradation, land conversion and climate change are discussed. We conclude by highlighting the conservation strategies that are currently being implemented to ensure sustainable utilization of tamarind.

Piper nigrum is an indigenous extensive wine of Piperaceae. It is predominantly cultivated in the humid and subtropical climate of Western Ghats of India, mainly in Konkan and Kerala. The berries of black pepper are developed on axillary catkins. The berries are warty and turn brownish-black on ripening and are strongly aromatic and pungent. The tolerable aroma of the black piper is exploited in culinary preparations across the globe. Traditionally, it is used as a stimulant, antipyretic, analgesic, antiviral, and as a bioavailability enhancer. Consequently, the manifold use of black pepper has augmented its commercial and medicinal importance. Principle ingredients are alkaloids such as piperine, piperlongumine, and piperlonguminine. Recent research proves its beneficial role in the management of hyperlipidemia, obesity, cardiovascular complications, diabetes, etc. The proposed chapter will specifically highlight the phytochemical and pharmacological advancements in the research related to Piper nigrum.

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.; family Apiaceae/Umbelliferae), locally known as dhanya, is a popular culinary herb, well recognized for its therapeutic properties in Indo-Pak subcontinent. The plant is native to North Africa, Southern Europe, and southwestern Asia and is also one of the widely cultivated herbs. The aerial plant parts including seeds of coriander are being excessively used in traditional cuisines due to its pleasant color and flavor. Coriander seeds are commonly used spices and ingredients of curry and traditional recipes in the Mediterranean and South Asian regions.

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum), belonging to the family Leguminosae, is a distinctive therapeutic plant. Several parts of the plant (leaves, roots and seeds) are used as a spice, food, culinary herb, and in traditional medicines. It has been frequently referred in Ayurveda for its various health benefits. Fenugreek seeds contain high phytonutrients, minerals, and vitamin contents. They have high amount of non-starch polysaccharide (NSP) fibers. Major NSP’s are tannins, saponins, hemicelluloses, mucilages and galactomannans. Non-starch polysaccharides enhance bowel movement, support in smooth digestion and also help in decreasing LDLcholesterol level in the blood through binding. NSPs also capture toxic substances present in food and act as a shield for the colon mucosal layers against cancers. Fenugreek seeds also contain amino acid 4-hydroxyisoleucine, which boosts insulin secretion. Other essential phytochemicals present in fenugreek seeds (including trigonelline, gitogenin, yamogenin diosgenincholine and trigogenin) play important therapeutic roles, such as being anti-anorexic, anti-oxidant, anti-carcinogenic, antihyperlipidemic, anti-inflammatory, and antidiabetic uses, etc. The present chapter discusses various biological and therapeutic properties and uses of fenugreek in detail, along with its toxicological considerations.

In recent years, traditional systems of medicine are widely practiced throughout the world to treat various ailments that have originated due to the rise in population, increase in the cost of the drug, side effects of synthetic drugs and emergence of drug resistance in microbes. Asian food contains various culinary herbs that are used extensively in the traditional systems of medicine. One such important oldest culinary herb is Foeniculum vulgare Mill. It is an annual herb (Apiaceae), cultivated as arid and semiarid crop in the tropics and temperate regions of the world. Today, it finds its application in the healthcare industry, pharmaceutics, food, and cosmetics. Major components of F. vulgare essential oil are trans-anethole, estragole (methyl chavicol), fenchone and phellandrene. They also contain fatty acids, phenylpropanoids, terpene, coumarins, tannins, flavonoids, cardiac glycosides, and saponins. It is reported to possess antimicrobial, antiviral, antimycobacterial, antiprotozoal,anti-infantile, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, antimutagenic, antihirsutim, antinociceptive, antispasmodic chemo modulatory, antitumor, antithrombotic, apoptotic hepatoprotective, hypolipidemic, hypoglycemic, memory enhancing and oestrogenic properties. It also has antioxidant, cytotoxic, bronchodilatory, diuretic, galactagogue, emmenagogue, hypotensive and gastroprotective activities. Due to its antioxidant properties, it has lesser side effects and also reduce toxicity. Hence, it can be used effectively in combating various diseases. This chapter presents a comprehensive summary of the various biological activities of F. vulgare.

Since time immemorial, traditional medicine, largely Ayurveda, has established the usability and proficiency of many natural herbs and their formulations in curing ailments. However, the Asian continent or to be specific, India, could be considered as the “Land of Spices”. The saga of food-spice-medicine recipes has been passed down to several generations with a motto to “Make Food as Medicine”. One such exotic and the extensively used herb is Anethum Graveolens (Dill). This herb has the potential for various bioactivities. The whole plant, used as vrushya (a natural aphrodisiac), vataghna (balance vata) quenching excess free radicals, against vrana (non-healing wounds), shoola (abdominal colic pain), cure disorders and ulcers in eyes, plays a vital role in enema during panchakarma (bastikarma), functions as a galactagogue, inhibits uterine fibroids, increases milk secretion during lactation and above all enhances the taste of the food. With this background, a major lacuna is with an understanding of the functionality and mechanism of action at a molecular level. Hence, this chapter highlights the therapeutic potential of Dill seeds and their probable targets with modern knowledge and implications using ayurpharmacomic approach (understanding classical herbal formulation and exploring their pharmacological attributes with advanced -omic studies as tools). Further, virtual screening was performed to evaluate the structure-activity relationship (SAR) between lead phytobioactives and their pathological biomarkers/targets. These studies will enable a better understanding of potential pathways in developing newer therapeutic targets for future drug design and development, which would facilitate prime phytobioactive candidates to be subjected to clinical trials and drug approval.