Botanical Name - Nigella Sativa Category - Spices/Medicinal Form - Dry Part Used - Seeds General Information - Seeds of Nigella sativa (black cumin), a dicotyledonof the Ranunculaceae family, have been used for thousandsof years as a spice and food preservative. Black cumin is anannual herbaceous plant widely grown in the Mediterraneancountries, Middle East, Eastern Europe and Western Asia.The seeds have been added as a spice to a variety of Persianfoods such as bread, yogurt, pickles, sauces and salads. In the Middle East, NorthernAfrica and India, it has been used traditionally for centuriesfor the treatment of asthma, cough, bronchitis, headache,rheumatism, fever, influenza and eczema and for itsantihistaminic, antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory activities. Phytochemicals - The oil and the seed constituents, in particular thymoquinone (TQ), have shown potential medicinalproperties; they exhibit potent anti-inflammatory effectson several inflammation-based models including experi-mental encephalomyelitis, colitis, peritonitis, oedama,and arthritis through suppression of the inflammatory mediators prostaglandins and leukotriens. The oil and active ingredient of TQ showed beneficial immunomodulatory properties, augmenting the T cell andnatural killer cell-mediated immune responses. Most importantly, both the oil and its active ingredients expressed anti-microbial and anti-tumor properties toward different microbes and cancers. Coupling these beneficialeffects with its use in folk medicine, Nigella sativa seed isa promising source for active ingredients that would bewith potential therapeutic modalities in different clinicalsettings. More than 150 studies have been conducted andconfirmed the pharmacological effectiveness of igellasativa seed constituents. Though, Nigella sativa seed is acomplex substance of more than 100 compounds, some ofwhich have not yet been identified or studied.
Botanical Name - Piper nigrum Category - Spices/Medicinal Form - Dry Part Used - Fruit General Information - Pepper (Piper nigrum) belongs to the family piperaceae and is known as the king of spices. It requires a specific temperature and rainfall for growth. The part used is small grapelike berries and dried parts and fruits of the perennial pepper plant. Capsicums, chili peppers, and paprika are also included in this category. The dissimilarity amongst them is not only due to their color, there are also wide differences in their botanic names and attributes. Contrary to other peppers, red pepper can be used fresh, ground, or in powdered form. The dried pepper is washed to eliminate stalks, peels, and stem heads. The white pepper is the product obtained from berries that are fully ripened. Phytochemicals- Piper nigrum (black pepper) is widely used in food industry due to its content of antioxidant and antimicrobial terpenoids (-pinene, pinene, 3-carene, limonene, terpinene-4-ol, p-cymene) and alkaloids (piperine and related compounds).
Botanical Name - Trachyspermum ammi Category - Spices/Medicinal Form - Dry Part Used - Seeds General Information - Ajwain (Trachyspermum ammi L. Sprague) is an annual aromatic and herbaceous plant of the family Apiaceae. It is an erect annual herb with a striate stem and originated in the eastern regions of Persia and India. Its fruits are small, and grayish-brown in color. Ajwain has several other common names in English, including carom, Ethiopian cumin, wild parsley, and bishop;s weed.
Botanical Name - Tamarindus indica Category - Spices/Medicinal orm - Fresh/Dry Part Used - Fruit General Information - Tamarindus indica is a member of multipurpose, tropical evergreen leguminous species of Caesalpiniaceae subfamily native to Africa and southern Asia. It grows well up to 1500 m above sea level where annual rainfall is above 1500 mm. It can grow in versatile soil conditions. T. indica is very popular for its delicious appetizing fruit. The soft, succulent, juicy ripened pulp usually is used in confectionery and household as an ingredient of chutnies, pickles, curries, preserves, beverages, and sherbets. Phytochemicals - Tamarind fruits have several nutrient values, electrolytes, phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals. Different components of essential elements, phenolic substances, volatile components, organic acids, fatty acids, antimicrobial activities, antibacterial activities, antioxidative activities, antisnake venom activities, antiinflammatory activities and antidiabetic activities exist with tamarind.
Botanical Name - Capsicum frutescens Category - Spices Form - Dry Part Used - Fruit General Information - "Capsicum frutescens is a much-branched, erect, perennial plant growing from 1 - 2 metres tall. The stems can become more or less woody, at least near the base. This species is widely grown throughout the world, but especially in warm temperate to tropical climates for its edible fruit, which is used as a food flavouring, and also for its medicinal virtues. Fruit - raw or cooked. Very hot and normally used as a flavouring. The fruit can be dried and ground into a powder for use as a flavouring. The fruit is up to 7.5cm long and 1cm wide. Seed - dried, ground and used as a pepper. Leaves - cooked as a potherb." Phytochemicals- The fruit is also antihaemorrhoidal, antirheumatic, antiseptic, carminative, diaphoretic, digestive, sialagogue and stomachic. These pungent fruited peppers are important in the tropics as gastrointestinal detoxifiers and food preservatives. The fruits contain 0.1 - 1.5% capsaicin. This substance stimulates the circulation and alters temperature regulation. Applied to the skin it desensitizes nerve endings and so has been used as a local anaesthetic. The seed contains capsicidins. These are thought to have antibiotic properties.
Botanical Name - Foeniculum vulgare Category - Spices/Medicinal Form - Dry Part Used - Seeds General Information - Foeniculum vulgare Mill. is a biennial medicinal and aromatic plant belonging to the family Apiaceae (Umbelliferaceae). It is a hardy, perennial umbelliferous herb with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. It grows to a height of up to 2.5 m with hollow stems. The leaves grow up to 40 cm long; they are finely dissected with the ultimate segments filiform (thread like) of about 0.5 mm wide. The flowers are produced in terminal compound umbels. The fruit is a dry seed 4â??10 mm long. It is generally considered indigenous to the shores of Mediterranean Sea but has become widely naturalised in many parts of the world especially on dry soils near the sea coast and on the river banks. Some authors distinguish two sub-species of fennel, piperitum and vulgare: sub-species piperitum has bitter seeds, while sub-species vulgare has sweet seeds which are used as flavouring agents in baked goods, meat and fish dishes, ice creams, alcoholic beverages, etc due to their characteristic anise odour. Foeniculum vulgare (Apiaceae) commonly known as fennel is a well known and important medicinal and aromatic plant widely used as carminative, digestive, lactogogue and diuretic and in treating respiratory and gastrointestinal disorders. Its seeds are used as flavourings in baked goods, meat and fish dishes, ice cream, alcoholic beverages and herb mixtures. Phenols, phenolic glycosides and volatile aroma compounds such as trans-anethole, estragole and fenchone have been reported as the major phytoconstituents of this species. Different pharmacological experiments in a number of in vitro and in vivo models have convincingly demonstrated the ability of F. vulgare to exhibit antifungal, antibacterial, antioxidant, antithrombotic and hepatoprotective activities, lending support to the rationale behind several of its therapeutic uses. Phytochemicals- F. vulgare has been reported to contain 6.3% of moisture, 9.5% protein, 10% fat, 13.4% minerals, 18.5% fibre and 42.3% carbohydrates. The minerals and vitamins present in F. vulgare are calcium, potassium, sodium, iron, phosphorus, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and vitamin C.
Botanical Name - Linum usitatissimum Category - Medicinal Form - Dry Part Used - Seeds General Information - Linum usitatissimum (Linn.), commonly known as flaxseed or linseed, belongs to the family Linaceae. The flax plant is not a new crop and is native to West Asia and the Mediterranean coastal lands, Asia Minor, Egypt, Algeria, Tunis, Spain, Italy, and Greece; in all these areas, only fiber flax is cultivated. In south-west Asia, including Turkestan, Afghanistan, and India, only oil types are grown. In North America, flaxseed is the preferred term for flax used for human consumption, whereas Europeans use the term linseed for edible flax. Historical records indicate that flaxseed dates back to around 9000â??8000 BC in Turkey, Iran, Jordan, and Syria. Flaxseed is grown in approximately 50 countries, most of which are in the Northern hemisphere. In 2002, Canada was the largest producer of flaxseed, accounting for approximately 33% of the 2 million metric tons produced, followed by China (20%), United States (16%) and India (11%). Phytochemicals - Flaxseed is well-known for the content of chemical compounds with specific biological activity and functional properties: polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) omega-3 family, soluble dietary fibers, lignans, proteins and carbohydrates. However, it is constituted by few levels of adverse health compounds such as Cadmium, protease inhibitors and cyanogenic compounds. Flaxseed is emerging as an important functional food ingredient because provides oil rich in omega-3, digestible proteins, and lignans. In addition to being one of the richest sources of �±-linolenic acid oil and lignans, flaxseed is an essential source of high quality protein and soluble fiber and has considerable potential as a source of phenolic compounds. Flaxseed has nutritional and functional properties. In fact the content of compounds such as polyunsaturated fatty acids, essential amino acids, vitamin E, lignans and dietary fibers makes flaxseed a source to satisfy basic needs in the human diet and health maintenance. Healthy properties are related to anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-carcinogenic activities and to the lowering of cholesterol, the decrease of cardiovascular disease and the prevention of diabetes.
Botanical Name - Linum usitatissimum Category - Super Food Form - Dry Part Used - Seed General Information - "Common flax is thought to be one of the oldest domesticated plants. Flax is grown in 64 countries of the world. Canada, China, India and the USA have the highest shares in the global flaxseed production. Flax is a plant that provides raw material for the food, chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Consumers are increasingly interested in the use of flaxseed in daily diet.
Botanical Name - Murraya koenigii Category - Spices/Medicinal Form - Dry Part Used - Leaves General Information - Murraya koenigii (L.) Spreng or its common name curry leaf tree is a small strong smelling perennial shrub commonly found in forests as undergrowth. It was originally cultivated in India for its aromatic leaves and for ornament is normally used for natural flavoring in curries and sauces. Originated in Tarai regions of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is now widely found in all parts of India and it adorns every house yard of southern India and also it is now cultivated and distributes throughout the world. Phytochemicals - This plant is known to be the richest source of carbazole alkaloids. It has been reported by authors that carbazole alkaloids present in M.koenigii (L.) Spreng and display various biological activities such as anti-tumor, anti-oxidative, anti-mutagenic and anti-inflammatory activities. The fresh leaves of Murraya koenigii contain 61.77- 66.2% of moisture, 2.1-12.5%of protein, 14.6-18.97% of total sugar, 9.7-13.06% of total ash, 1.35-1.82% of acid insoluble ash, 1.35-1.82% of alcohol soluble extractive and water extractive value ranges between 27.33-33.45%.
Botanical Name - Myristica fragrans Category - Spices/Medicinal Form - Dry Part Used - Flower General Information - Myristica fragrans Houtt. (Myristicaceae) commonly known as nutmeg is a well-knownaromatic evergreen tree found in India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and South Africa. Nutmeg mace is well known all over the world as an important spice. Nutmeg has beenshown to possess analgesic, antifungal, antimicrobial, antiin�ammatory as well as hepatoprotective activities. With regard to itsmedicinal and commercial value, the dried kernel (seed) and mace/aril are the most exploitedparts.
Botanical Name - Myristica fragrans Category - Spices/Medicinal Form - Dry Part Used - Seeds General Information - Myristica fragrans Houtt. (Myristicaceae) commonly known as nutmeg is a well-knownaromatic evergreen tree found in India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and South Africa. Nutmeg mace is well known all over the world as an important spice. Nutmeg has beenshown to possess analgesic, antifungal, antimicrobial, antiin�ammatory as well as hepatoprotective activities. With regard to itsmedicinal and commercial value, the dried kernel (seed) and mace/aril are the most exploitedparts.
Botanical Name - Myristica fragrans Category - Spices/Medicinal Form - Dry Part Used - Flower General Information - Myristica fragrans Houtt. (Myristicaceae) commonly known as nutmeg is a well-knownaromatic evergreen tree found in India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and South Africa. Nutmeg mace is well known all over the world as an important spice. Nutmeg has beenshown to possess analgesic, antifungal, antimicrobial, antinammatory as well as hepatoprotective activities. With regard to itsmedicinal and commercial value, the dried kernel (seed) and mace/aril are the most exploitedparts.
Botanical Name - Origanum vulgare Category - Aromatic/Medicinal Form - Dry Part Used - Leaves, Flower top General Information - Oregano (Origanum vulgare) is an aromatic herb belonging tothe Lamiaceae family, and commonly occurs throughout Asia,Europe, and northern Africa. In folk medicine, O. vulgare is usedto treat respiratory disorders, dyspepsia, painful menstruation,rheumatoid arthritis, scrofulosis and urinary tract disorders. It isalso used as a culinary herb in gastronomy.3Previous studiesreported the potential of oregano essential oil to preserve food,such as fresh chicken breast meat, swordfish and octopus. Phytochemicals - Various chemicals found such as Phosphate buffer, trichloroacetic acid, ferric chloride, ascorbicacid, and 2,4,6-tris(2-pyridyl)-s-triazine (TPTZ) were purchasedfrom Fluka (Buchs, Germany); Folin Ciocalteu reagent, gallic acid,-diphenyl- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), potassium hexacyanofer-rate(III), and dimethylsulfoxide, ferrous sulfate, sodium acetate, tryptic soy agar, andplate count agar, sodium car-bonate and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), sodium sulfate anhydrous.
Botanical Name - Papaver somniferum Category - Medicinal Form - Dry Part Used - Seeds General Information - Poppy plants (Papaver somniferum, Papaver paeoniflorum, Papaver giganteum) are herbaceous annual plants that can grow almost anywhere. Of all the different species, P. somniferum is the most popular due to its beautiful flowers. Moreover, seeds are used for making muffins, breads, and other food. The stems and pods are often used for flower arrangements. Opium is found in the latex (a milky fluid) of unripe pods of poppy plants 1 - 3 weeks after flowering. The milky fluid is collected by incision of green seed pods. Phytochemicals - More than 30 alkaloids have been isolated from P. somniferum out of which three alkaloids morphine, codeine, and noscapine (antitussive) are used directly in therapy. Thebaine is a biosynthetic intermediate of the morphine pathway which is used by the pharmaceutical industry for synthesis of oxycodone, oxymorphone, buprenorphine, and naloxone, an opiate antagonist.
Botanical Name - Piper nigrum Category - Spices/Medicinal Form - Dry Part Used - Fruit General Information - Pepper (Piper nigrum) belongs to the family piperaceae and is known as the king of spices. It requires a specific temperature and rainfall for growth. The part used is small grapelike berries and dried parts and fruits of the perennial pepper plant. Capsicums, chili peppers, and paprika are also included in this category. The dissimilarity amongst them is not only due to their color, there are also wide differences in their botanic names and attributes. Contrary to other peppers, red pepper can be used fresh, ground, or in powdered form. The dried pepper is washed to eliminate stalks, peels, and stem heads. The white pepper is the product obtained from berries that are fully ripened. Phytochemicals - Piper nigrum (black pepper) is widely used in food industry due to its content of antioxidant and antimicrobial terpenoids (pinene,-pinene, 3-carene, limonene,-terpinene-4-ol, p-cymene) and alkaloids (piperine and related compounds).
Botanical Name - Sesamum indicum Category - Medicinal Form - Dry Part Used - Seeds General Information - Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is herbaceous annual plant belonging to the Pedaliaceae family. Sesame seed is also known as benniseed (Africa), benne (Southern United States), gingelly (India), gengelin (Brazil), sim-sim, semsem (Hebrew) and tila (Sanskrit). It is one of the worldâ??s important and oldest oilseed crops and has been used extensively for thousands of years as a seed of worldwide significance for edible oil, paste, cake, confectionary purposes and flour due to its highly stable oil contents, nutritious protein (rich in methionine, tryptophan and valine) and savory nutty roasted flavor. Phytochemicals- S. indicum contained significant amounts of flavonoids while the seeds possessed the highest flavonoids levels. Flavonoids belong to a group of polyphenolics compounds. Polyphenols are plant compounds with a high level of antioxidant activity. This activity is due to their ability to ad-sorb, neutralize and quench free radicals. The high content of flavonoids in this plant (4.98-16.12%) might be responsible for its usefulness as a food and herbal drug. Phenols are known as important plant constituents that protect plants from oxidant damage due to their hydroxyl group. The levels of phenol contents in all the parts of S. indicum (0.13-0.016%) were very low.
Botanical Name - Sesamum indicum Category - Super Food Form - Dry Part Used - Seed General Information - Sesamum indicum L., commonly known internationally as sesame, is one of the oldest oilseed crops. Worldwide, it is used for its nutritional, medicinal, and industrial purposes. It is called â??sesameâ?? internationally, while it is called benni seed in West Africa; simsim in East Africa and Till in India. Sesame is the seed of Sesamum indicum L. (Pedaliaceae). The seeds are yellowish white, brown, or gray to black, flat pyriform (2.5 - 3.5 mm by 1.2 - 2 mm by 1 mm), and finely punctate, with four delicate, longitudinal ridges at the edges of the flat faces.
Botanical Name - Trigonella foenum-graecum Category - Spices/Medicinal Form - Dry Part Used - Seeds General Information - Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) belongs to the family fabaceae. Fenugreek is used both as a herb (the leaves) and as a spice (the seed). It is cultivated world wide as semi-arid crop. In Sudan the seeds have many uses especially in folk medicine. Whole seeds are swallowed as antiacid and against dysentery and stomach disturbances. Also a special porridage (madidat-hilba) is made from wheat flour to which whole or ground fenugreek seeds are added for fattening women. It is also used by lactating women in a form of thin porridge. Seeds of fenugreek spice have medicinal properties such as hypocholesterolemic, lactation aid, antibacterial, gastric stimulant, for anorexia, antidiabetic agent, galactogogue, hepatoprotective effect and anticancer. Phytochemicals- Fenugreek contains a number of chemical constituents including steroidal sapogenins. Diosgenin component has been found in the oily embryo of fenugreek. There are two furastanol glycosides, F-ring opened precursors of diosgenin that have been reported in fenugreek also as hederagin glycosides. Alkaloids such as trigocoumarin, nicotinic acid, trimethyl coumarin and trigonelline are present in stem.
Botanical Name - Trachyspermum ammi Category - Spices/Medicinal Form - Dry Part Used - Seeds General Information - Ajwain (Trachyspermum ammi L. Sprague) is an annual aromatic and herbaceous plant of the family Apiaceae. It is an erect annual herb with a striate stem and originated in the eastern regions of Persia and India. Its fruits are small, and grayish-brown in color. Ajwain has several other common names in English, including carom, Ethiopian cumin, wild parsley, and bishopâ??s weed. Phytochemicals - Trachyspermum ammi (L.)commonly known as ajwain or caraway is native to Egypt and widely grown all over Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. The seeds of T. ammi (L.) are widely used in India and eastern Asia, both in diet and in traditional medicine. They contain fiber (11.9%), carbohydrates (38.6%), tannins, glycosides, moisture (8.9%), protein (15.4%), fat (18.1%), saponins, flavone, and mineral matter (7.1%). Essential oil prepared from seeds contains thymol (50 - 60%), -terpinene, and p-cymene, along with and pinenes, -thujen, myrcene, 1,8-cineole, and carvacrol.
Botanical Name - Origanum vulgare Category - Aromatic/Medicinal Form - Dry Part Used - Leaves, Flower top General Information - Oregano (Origanum vulgare) is an aromatic herb belonging tothe Lamiaceae family, and commonly occurs throughout Asia,Europe, and northern Africa. In folk medicine, O. vulgare is usedto treat respiratory disorders, dyspepsia, painful menstruation,rheumatoid arthritis, scrofulosis and urinary tract disorders. It isalso used as a culinary herb in gastronomy.3Previous studiesreported the potential of oregano essential oil to preserve food,such as fresh chicken breast meat, sword�sh and octopus. Phytochemicals - Various chemicals found such as Phosphate buffer, trichloroacetic acid, ferric chloride, ascorbicacid, and 2,4,6-tris(2-pyridyl)-s-triazine (TPTZ) were purchasedfrom Fluka (Buchs, Germany); Folin Ciocalteu reagent, gallic acid,-diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), potassium hexacyanofer-rate(III), and dimethylsulfoxide, ferrous sulfate, sodium acetate, tryptic soy agar, andplate count agar, sodium car-bonate and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), sodium sulfate anhydrous.
