Importance Of Spices Research Articles

Importance of Indian Spices and Herbs in Indian Regional Cuisine

Introduction: India is known as a land of spices all over the world. Explorers, Invaders, and traders from all over the world were attracted by the abundance of spices grown in India. Herbs and spices are the most versatile and widely used ingredients in Indian cuisine. They are used as flavoring and coloring agents. They are also used as natural preservatives. In this era of globalization, people do not want to use chemical preservatives and so the importance of spices and herbs is increasing in the food industry. Being natural antioxidants and antimicrobial, spices and herbs have become an important part of the culinary art of cooking. Spices are extensively used in the perfumery, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries. Herbs and spices have healthpromoting propertiess in abundance. Purpose: The research paper explores the importance of Indian spices and herbs in Indian regional cuisine Methodology: It is secondary research based on data available. Results: This study gives an overview of the significance of herbs and spices in Maharashtrian cuisine for their flavor, taste and health benefits. Consumption of certain spices increases immunity these are resistant in the human body. Herbs and spices have time-honored past of use with a strong function in cultural legacy and in recitation of foods and its botheration to health. Spices and herbs are available in the form of seeds, bark, flowers, stem, roots, fruits, and, leaves. Indians have always believed in Ayurveda, so instead of eating for taste and convenience, people have incorporated healing immune-boosting. Ayurveda herbs and spices into their daily diets. Indian cuisine with spices and herbs is deliberated for healing, energy, immune support, gut health, antimicrobial power and longevity. keywords: Spices, Herbs, Immunity boosters, health benefits, antioxidants.

The potential use of some spices as immunity booster

Spices are normally used for flavor to make food aromatic, hot, savory and sweet. Spices not only add aroma to the food but also give a lot of health benefits and nutritional values. Some of the spices used in Egypt are cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, black cumin etc. Many people do not know the importance of spices and its effect on the immune system. The main aim is to high light the role of commonly used spices on immunity. In this review we list some bakery products that use some spices and can be used to improve the immunity of humans.

The curative role of some dietary spices in inϑlammation

Spices are mainly plants or their parts which lends an aroma or flavour to food. They form an integral part of Indian cuisine and are used to flavour and preserve our daily food besides other uses. Their immense traditional uses as diuretic, purgative etc. have been known to man since time immemorial. The traditional use to treat ailments has only currently been scientifically validated. The study of the pharmacological principles responsible for the activity of crude spices has also gained importance in recent times. Some of the spices used daily in Indian cuisine have been known to possess major anti-inflammatory effects. When the body is injured, it mounts a protective inflammatory response to prevent further injury or infection. In spite of its apparently docile nature, inflammation may sometimes cause extensive tissue damage. This condition is extremely dangerous if left untreated. The review underlines the importance of some of the frequently used spices in the treatment of inflammation. It also highlights the molecular mechanisms responsible for the reduction in inflammation by these spices and further investigates the active principle responsible for the same from the various studies done in this field in an attempt to highlight the importance of spices in our lives.

Compostos bioativos do abacaxi (Ananás comosus) e da pimenta dedo de moça (Capsicum baccatum) e sua correlação com atividade antioxidante

O abacaxi Pérola (Ananás comosus) é um fruto típico do Brasil, conhecido por suas características sensoriais peculiares e marcantes, rico em vitaminas, sais minerais. As pimentas do gênero Capsicum, tem a preferência do consumidor mundial tanto na forma in natura ou processada, sendo excelente fonte de antioxidantes naturais, carotenoides e compostos fenólicos. A importância das especiarias na vida humana é grande, elas não apenas enriquecem o sabor dos alimentos como podem influenciar na fisiologia e bioquímica humana. Assim o objetivo desse trabalho foi avaliar os compostos bioativos presentes em ambos os frutos e atividade antioxidante pelo método DPPH, bem como verificar as correlações entre eles por meio da correlação de Pearson. Verificou-se que os frutos em estudo possuem alto teor de vitamina C (56,46 a 52,29 mg de ácido ascórbico/100g de amostra para abacaxi e pimenta respectivamente), além de moderada ação antioxidante pelo método DPPH (12,38 e 17,19 g de fruto/g de DPPH, valores expressos pelo resultado de EC50). Entretanto o estudo mostra que a capacidade antioxidante pelo método DPPH não possui correlação significativa com os demais compostos bioativos de ambas as frutas.

Magical Role of Spices in Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's The Mistress of Spices.

Spices are treated as characters by the Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni in The Mistress of Spices. Divakaruni has dealt metaphysically to the Indian Spices to touch the knowledge beyond science. She has also depicted myths, magi and history related to spices. The spices have their tangible, perceptible and manifesting relationship with Tilo, the protagonist. It also explores the importance of spices in socio-cultural perspectives of the novel and psychological perspective in Tilo's life.

Invention and Re-invention of Self in Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's The Mistress of Spices.

This paper aims to highlight the theme of self-identity, identity crisis, isolation, dislocation of women, the quest for treasure, search for a home, loneliness, nostalgic experience, marital dissonance assimilation, search for respectable life and alienation. In the globalization, everyone wants to move out of his or her native soil for a better living. In travel, they often undertake a journey to discover themselves. In Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's The Mistress of Spices, Tilo, the protagonist of this novel, leaves her homeland in the hope of integrity and a better life. In the host land, she undergoes homelessness. Later she rethinks about her own lives as women and instils in them the confidence and strength to go ahead. It also shows how she explores her identity after facing several physical and mental encounters. It depicts the representation of different myths, magic and history, related to spices. It also evaluates the importance of spices in a socio-cultural perspective in the life of the protagonist.

Spices: Potential Therapeutics for Alzheimer's Disease.

India has traditionally been known to all over the world for spices and medicinal plants. Spices exhibit a wide range of pharmacological activities. In contemporary, Indian spices are used to rustle up delicious delicacies. However, the Indian spices are more than just adjuvant which adds aroma and fragrance to foods. A few spices are very widely used and grown commercially in many countries, contain many important chemical constituents in the form of essential oil, oleoresin, oleogum, and resins, which impart flavor, pungency, and color to the prepared dishes, simultaneously exerts diverse therapeutic benefits. Ayurveda, the traditional systems of medicine in India has many evidences for the utilization of spices to cure various diseases. Some of the activities have been scientifically proven. Among various indications central nervous system disorders are of prime importance and it has been evident in traditional books and published reports that spices in fact protect and cure neuronal ailments. Likewise there are many spices found in India used for culinary purpose and have been found to have reported specific activities against brain disorders. About 400 B.C., Hippocrates rightly said "Let food be thy medicine and medicine thy food." This review focuses on the importance of spices in therapeutics and the till date scientific findings of Indian spices in CNS pharmacology and explores the potential of Indian spices to cure CNS disorders.

Postharvest Processing and Benefits of Black Pepper, Coriander, Cinnamon, Fenugreek, and Turmeric Spices

Spices are prime source for flavor, aroma, and taste in cuisines and play an active role as medicines due to their high antioxidant properties. As medicine or food, the importance of spices cannot be overemphasized. The medicinal values of spices are very well established in treating various ailments like cancer, fever, malaria, stomach offset, nausea, and many more. A spice may be available in several forms: fresh, whole dried, or pre-ground dried which requires further processing to be utilized in the form of value-added product. This review paper deals with the cultivation, postharvesting, chemical composition, uses, health, and medicinal benefits of the selected spice viz., black pepper, coriander, cinnamon, fenugreek, turmeric, and technological advances in processing of spices viz., super critical fluid extraction, cryogenic grinding, and microencapsulation etc. This paper also focuses on issues related to utilization of spices toward its high end-product development and characterization in pharmaceuticals and other medicinal purposes. The availability of different spices and their varietal differences and location have their pertinent characters, which are much demanding to refine postharvest and processing to assure its quality in the international market.

Spice extracts as dose-modifying factors in radiation inactivation of bacteria.

Three spices, chili, black pepper, and turmeric, were tested for the effect of their aqueous extracts on the sensitivity of three bacteria, Escherichia coli, Bacillus megaterium, and Bacillus pumilusspores, to gamma-radiation. It was found that the extracts of the three spices offered protection to these organisms against inactivation by gamma-radiation. These spice extracts were also tested for their protection of naked plasmid DNA. Radiation-induced degradation of plasmid pUC18 DNA was reduced in the presence of the spice extracts. The maximum protection was offered by the chili extract followed by that of black pepper and turmeric. The two known antioxidants, curcumin and piperine from turmeric and black pepper, respectively, were shown to protect the plasmid DNA from the degradation by gamma-radiation. Experiments with the plasmid pUC18 DNA indicated that the spice extracts probably protected microorganisms by protecting their DNA. These studies indicated the importance of spices among ingredients in food as dose-modifying factors during radiation processing.