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As the global population continues to expand, the demand for broiler chicken production to supply safe and high-quality meat is increasing. To meet this ever-growing demand, broiler chickens with enhanced growth performance are being developed, but they often face challenges related to oxidative stress, which can adversely affect gut health. Phytobiotics, which are plant-derived feed additives known for their antimicrobial, antioxidant, immune-modulating, and growth-promoting properties, have emerged as promising natural alternatives to synthetic antibiotics. This review consolidates recent advancements in the use of phytobiotics-derived products from leaves, roots, seeds, flowers, and their extracts in broiler diets reared under standard experimental conditions, without the introduction of stressors. The focus is on elucidating the key mechanisms through which phytobiotics improve gut health, including their effects on gut morphology, integrity, microflora composition, antioxidant capacity, and immune function. The review highlights the potential of phytobiotics to revolutionize broiler nutrition by acting as natural enhancers of gut health. Research findings reveal that phytobiotics significantly improve intestinal health, and boost growth performance, offering a sustainable approach to managing to gut dysfunction. These findings indicate a potential shift in how gut-health related challenges in broilers can be addressed, moving towards natural phytobiotic therapy. However, several challenges persist. Optimizing the dosage of phytobiotics, ensuring consistent performance, and overcoming the limitations related to their extraction and application are key areas requiring further investigation. The review emphasizes the importance of continued research to refine phytobiotic formulations, explore synergistic effects, and incorporate advanced technologies such as AI-driven methods and precision nutrition to tailor feeding strategies more effectively. Additionally, the development of innovative delivery systems, such as nanoencapsulation, is suggested as a way to enhance the effectiveness and reliability of phytobiotics. By highlighting the potential of phytobiotics to revolutionize broiler nutrition, this review supports the poultry industry's shift towards antibiotic-free and sustainable dietary solutions, offering new perspectives on the future of broiler chicken production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demand for herbs and spices products in Indonesia has been steadily increasing each year, especially since the pandemic of COVID-19 pandemic. Information from various media about the benefits of herbs and spices for maintaining health and body stamina has encouraged people to consume the products and their derivations forms. The emergence of various processed herbs and spices products requires producers to better understand consumer behavior. This research aims to understand the decision-making process of purchasing and consumer preferences for processed spice and herbal products produced by SMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises) in Sukoharjo Regency. The research involved 103 respondents from Sukoharjo Regency who have consumed herbs and spices products made by SMEs during the last three months. Descriptive methods were conducted through direct interviews with consumers using questionnaires, while conjoint analysis was used to determine the attributes most considered by consumers when making a purchase. The research findings show that the characteristics of consumers of processed herbs and spices products in Sukoharjo Regency are generally dominated by females, aged 17 to 25 years, mainly students, with a monthly income of around IDR 2,000,000. There are three main attributes considered when selecting products, namely taste (23,2%), sugar content (19,1%), and serving forms (12,4%), while the brand attribute has the lowest importance value at 9.4%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whereas herbs/spices serve as natural preservatives, and thermal processing makes animal meat products edible, combining them should complement each other. Additionally, the application of oven grilling to meat products continues to increase in popularity. However, there is a paucity of relevant published information specific to different marinated oven-grilled pork neck meat. Therefore, the quality attributes of different marinated oven-grilled pork neck meat were investigated, which involved chemical (pH, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance [TBARS], 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiaziline-6-sulfonate) [ABTS], 1,1-diphenyl-2-pierylhydrazy [DPPH], ferric reducing antioxidant power [FRAP]), physical (cooking weight loss, L*a*b* color, and textural cutting force), as well as organoleptic (sensory: flavor, appearance, tenderness, taste, and off-flavor; texture: hardness, chewiness, gumminess, graininess, and greasiness) aspects. In particular, the pork neck meat was procured from a porcine farm in Poland. Different marinated variants comprised constituent 0.5, 1, and 1.5% quantities of cranberry pomace (CP), grape pomace (GP), and Baikal skullcap (BS) that subsequently incorporated either African spice (AS) or industrial marinade/pickle (IM). Results showed decreases in ABTS, DPPH, FRAP, and TBARS in some marinated oven-grilled pork neck meat samples, alongside pH variations by difference that seemingly associated with increasing concentrations of either CP, BS, or GP, which might not always coincide with L*a*b* color trends as AS and IM were incorporated. Despite the many resemblances (p > .05), the sensory aspects fluctuated as textural chewiness, gumminess, and hardness increased in some samples, more evident when incorporating AS compared to IM. Overall, oven-grilling promises to moderate the range values of key quality attributes of different marinated pork neck meat samples in this study.

Although herbs and spices have been used in traditional medicine for more than a century owing to their health benefits, the associated underlying mechanism is still not clear. Since the G protein-coupled receptor 35 (GPR35) has been linked to exert various antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, we screened 19 different herbs and spices for possible GPR35 agonist(s) to understand the GPR35-dependent functions of herbs and spices. Among the screened extracts, the ethyl acetate extract of thyme exhibited a remarkable GPR35 agonistic activity. Activity-guided separations allowed us to identify 2 polyphenolic phytochemicals, eriodictyol and thymonin, acting as GPR35 agonists. Both eriodictyol and thymonin showed a potent and specific agonist activity toward GPR35 with half maximal effective concentration values of 5.48 and 8.41 μm, respectively. These findings indicate that these phytochemicals may have beneficial health effects upon GPR35 activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a growing global health problem. Evidence suggests that diets rich in phytochemical-containing herbs and spices can contribute to reducing the risk of chronic diseases. This review assesses the scope of evidence supporting the use of herbs and spices in the diet for the prevention or treatment of MetS and its associated health conditions. A search of the PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar databases was carried out to assess the available clinical evidence for culinary doses of commonly used herbs and spices. Trials that were measuring health factors related to metabolic disorders in healthy individuals, or the health of individuals with MetS or associated diseases, were included. Out of a total of 1738 papers identified, there were 142 relevant studies on black pepper, chilli, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, fennel, fenugreek, garlic, ginger, nigella seed, rosemary, sage and turmeric. No relevant research was found for cloves, mint, oregano, parsley or thyme. Cinnamon, fenugreek and ginger were the herbs/spices with the most published trials on them and that showed promise for glycaemic control. Cardamom appears to have potential to reduce inflammatory markers, and cinnamon, ginger and turmeric to reduce blood lipids. Patients with type 2 diabetes were the population most likely to be included in studies, but the preventative benefits of herbs/spices in healthy populations were also investigated, particularly for chilli, ginger and cinnamon. There is evidence for the beneficial effect of culinary doses of many common herbs/spices in the prevention and treatment of MetS and associated disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nano-range bioactive colloidal carrier systems are envisaged to overcome the challenges associated with treatments of numerous diseases. Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), one of the extensively investigated drug delivery systems, not only improve pharmacokinetic parameters, transportation, and chemical stability of encapsulated compounds but also provide efficient targeting and reduce the risk of toxicity. Over the last decades, nature-derived polyphenols, vitamins, antioxidants, dietary supplements, and herbs have received more attention due to their remarkable biological and pharmacological health and medical benefits. However, their poor aqueous solubility, compromised stability, insufficient absorption, and accelerated elimination impede research in the nutraceutical sector. Owing to the possibilities offered by various LNPs, their ability to accommodate both hydrophilic and hydrophobic molecules and the availability of various preparation methods suitable for sensitive molecules, loading natural fragile molecules into LNPs offers a promising solution. The primary objective of this work is to explore the synergy between nature and nanotechnology, encompassing a wide range of research aimed at encapsulating natural therapeutic molecules within LNPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the impact that combined action of marination and oven grill processes would have on such meat products as beef entrecôte is crucial from both consumer appeal and product development standpoints. Therefore, different marinated oven-grilled beef entrecôte meat specifically evaluating resultant physicochemical and organoleptic attributes were studied. The beef entrecôte meat was provided by a reputable local bovine farm/slaughter at Wroclaw, Poland. Physicochemical attributes involved antioxidant (2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiaziline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP)), (pH, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), cooking weight loss, L*a*b* color, and textural cutting force). Organoleptic attributes involved sensory (flavour, appearance, tenderness, taste) and texture (hardness, chewiness, gumminess, graininess, and greasiness) aspects. Different marination variants involved constituent 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5% quantities of cranberry pomace (CP), grape pomace (GP), and Baikal skullcap (BS), subsequently incorporated either African spice (AS) or industrial marinade/pickle (IM). Results showed pH, ABTS, DPPH, FRAP, TBARS, L*a*b* color, cooking weight loss, and textural cutting force, sensory and textural profile with varying range values. Concentration increases of either CP, GP, and or BS may not always go along with ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP values, given the observed decreasing or increasing fluctuations. As oven-grilling either increased or decreased the TBARS values alongside some color and textural cutting force trends, pH variations by difference seemed more apparent at samples involving GP, before CP, and then BS. The organoleptic attributes obtained differences and resemblances from both sensory and textural profile standpoints. Overall, oven-grilling promises to moderate both physicochemical and organoleptic range values of different marinated beef entrecôte meat samples in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insufficient protein intake is a common challenge among older adults, leading to loss of muscle mass, decreased function and reduced quality of life. A protein intake of 0.4 g/kg body weight/meal is recommended to help prevent muscle loss. The purpose of this study was to assess whether the protein intake of 0.4 g/kg body weight/meal could be achieved with typical foods and whether culinary spices could enhance protein intake. A lunch meal test was conducted in 100 community-dwelling volunteers; 50 were served a meat entrée and 50 were served a vegetarian entrée with or without added culinary spices. Food consumption, liking and perceived flavor intensity were assessed using a randomized, two-period, within subjects crossover design. Within the meat or vegetarian treatments, there were no differences in entrée or meal intakes between spiced and non-spiced meals. Participants fed meat consumed 0.41 g protein/kg body weight/meal, while the vegetarian intake was 0.25 g protein/kg body weight/meal. The addition of spice to the vegetarian entrée significantly increased liking and flavor intensity of both the entrée and the entire meal, while spice addition only increased flavor for the meat offering. Culinary spices may be a useful tool to improve the liking and flavor of high-quality protein sources among older adults, especially when used with plant-based foods, although improving liking and flavor alone are insufficient to increase protein intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thai food is popular because of its unique characteristics and health benefits, particularly the antioxidant properties of the herbs and spices added to them. To confirm its antioxidant properties, 11 common herbs and spices from Thailand were evaluated for their chemical components and radical scavenging activity. The effects of herb and spice powders on lipid oxidation in fish were evaluated. The results confirmed the presence of rich essential chemical components that are beneficial to humans. For example, ginger contained 31.21 ± 0.39% linoleic acid, sweet basil contained 52.96 ± 0.92% linolenic acid, kaffir lime leaves contained 517.15 ± 8.89 ng/mg lipid α-tocopherol, and climbing wattle contained 368.75 ± 18.2 μg/g sample adenosine monophosphate. High total polyphenol content and strong radical scavenging activity were also present in these herbs and spices, especially in turmeric, fingerroot, and ginger. Moreover, they exhibited excellent lipid oxidation prevention ability in fish, especially turmeric and ginger in lipid peroxide prevention and fingerroot and ginger in aldehyde prevention. The results showed significant differences between oxidized and non-oxidized fish samples. In addition, the results of a principal component analysis indicated a strong correlation between the chemical components and samples. In conclusion, Thai herbs and spices, which include turmeric, fingerroot, and ginger, have outstanding benefits that are essential for improving health and are suitable for use as preservatives in food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Morocco has a rich plant biodiversity and an ancient ethnobotanical knowledge influenced by the ethnic diversity of the Moroccan population. This heritage has been preserved from generation to generation by traditional herbalists. In this study, data were collected via a survey of herbalists based on the direct interview technique. Questions addressed the herbalists’ age and education level as well as the vernacular names and parts of the plants used for the preservation of food. The species use value was used to identify the most important species recommended by herbalists. The average age of the participants was 52.55 years, and the illiteracy rate was 46%. A total of 32 plant species representing 16 families were identified as being used in the preservation of various food products. The most important family was Lamiaceae, followed by Apiaceae and Rosaceae. The most frequently used parts of the plant were the leaves (26.37%), followed by the fruit (24.7%), and the whole plant (12.7%). The highest use values were recorded for Citrus limon (0.16), Thymus vulgaris (0.14), Rosmarinus officinalis (0.12), Artemisia herba alba (0.11) and Lavandula dentata (0.1). Meat, vegetables and fish were the most commonly preserved food products. This ethnobotanical survey on the preservation of food products is the first of its kind conducted in Morocco and has implications for meeting consumer demands and understanding the potential uses of plants in the preservation of food products.

Understanding the impact that combined action of marination and oven grill processes would have on such meat products as beef entrecôte is crucial from both consumer appeal and product development standpoints. Therefore, different marinated oven-grilled beef entrecôte meat specifically evaluating resultant physicochemical and organoleptic attributes were studied. The beef entrecôte meat was provided by a reputable local bovine farm/slaughter at Wroclaw, Poland. Physicochemical attributes involved antioxidant (2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiaziline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP)), (pH, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), cooking weight loss, L*a*b* color, and textural cutting force). Organoleptic attributes involved sensory (flavour, appearance, tenderness, taste) and texture (hardness, chewiness, gumminess, graininess, and greasiness) aspects. Different marination variants involved constituent 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5% quantities of cranberry pomace (CP), grape pomace (GP), and Baikal skullcap (BS), subsequently incorporated either African spice (AS) or industrial marinade/pickle (IM). Results showed pH, ABTS, DPPH, FRAP, TBARS, L*a*b* color, cooking weight loss, and textural cutting force, sensory and textural profile with varying range values. Concentration increases of either CP, GP, and or BS may not always go along with ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP values, given the observed decreasing or increasing fluctuations. As oven-grilling either increased or decreased the TBARS values alongside some color and textural cutting force trends, pH variations by difference seemed more apparent at samples involving GP, before CP, and then BS. The organoleptic attributes obtained differences and resemblances from both sensory and textural profile standpoints. Overall, oven-grilling promises to moderate both physicochemical and organoleptic range values of different marinated beef entrecôte meat samples in this study.

Whereas herbs/spices serve as natural preservatives, and thermal processing makes animal meat products edible, combining them should complement each other. Additionally, the application of oven grilling to meat products continues to increase in popularity. However, there is a paucity of relevant published information specific to different marinated oven-grilled pork neck meat. Therefore, the quality attributes of different marinated oven-grilled pork neck meat were investigated, which involved chemical (pH, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance [TBARS], 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiaziline-6-sulfonate) [ABTS], 1,1-diphenyl-2-pierylhydrazy [DPPH], ferric reducing antioxidant power [FRAP]), physical (cooking weight loss, L*a*b* color, and textural cutting force), as well as organoleptic (sensory: flavor, appearance, tenderness, taste, and off-flavor; texture: hardness, chewiness, gumminess, graininess, and greasiness) aspects. In particular, the pork neck meat was procured from a porcine farm in Poland. Different marinated variants comprised constituent 0.5, 1, and 1.5% quantities of cranberry pomace (CP), grape pomace (GP), and Baikal skullcap (BS) that subsequently incorporated either African spice (AS) or industrial marinade/pickle (IM). Results showed decreases in ABTS, DPPH, FRAP, and TBARS in some marinated oven-grilled pork neck meat samples, alongside pH variations by difference that seemingly associated with increasing concentrations of either CP, BS, or GP, which might not always coincide with L*a*b* color trends as AS and IM were incorporated. Despite the many resemblances (p >.05), the sensory aspects fluctuated as textural chewiness, gumminess, and hardness increased in some samples, more evident when incorporating AS compared to IM. Overall, oven-grilling promises to moderate the range values of key quality attributes of different marinated pork neck meat samples in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morocco has a rich plant biodiversity and an ancient ethnobotanical knowledge influenced by the ethnic diversity of the Moroccan population. This heritage has been preserved from generation to generation by traditional herbalists. In this study, data were collected via a survey of herbalists based on the direct interview technique. Questions addressed the herbalists’ age and education level as well as the vernacular names and parts of the plants used for the preservation of food. The species use value was used to identify the most important species recommended by herbalists. The average age of the participants was 52.55 years, and the illiteracy rate was 46%. A total of 32 plant species representing 16 families were identified as being used in the preservation of various food products. The most important family was Lamiaceae, followed by Apiaceae and Rosaceae. The most frequently used parts of the plant were the leaves (26.37%), followed by the fruit (24.7%), and the whole plant (12.7%). The highest use values were recorded for Citrus limon (0.16), Thymus vulgaris (0.14), Rosmarinus officinalis (0.12), Artemisia herba alba (0.11) and Lavandula dentata (0.1). Meat, vegetables and fish were the most commonly preserved food products. This ethnobotanical survey on the preservation of food products is the first of its kind conducted in Morocco and has implications for meeting consumer demands and understanding the potential uses of plants in the preservation of food products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thyme herbs constitute a major part of the Mediterranean diet and are gaining worldwide popularity. However, their chemical contamination with toxic metals may put consumers at a health risk. The objective of this study was to assess the incidence of Arsenic (As), Cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pb) and Mercury (Hg) in thyme-containing products. Composite samples were collected twice at six-month interval. Samples were digested by microwave digestion oven and analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). 11%, 22%, and 86% of samples had unacceptable levels of As, Hg and Pb respectively according to the international standards set by Codex Alimentarius and all the samples had acceptable limits of Cd. This study highlighted the importance of monitoring and enforcing regulatory actions related to the contamination of the food chain with heavy metals.

A key guiding principle in the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans emphasizes the need for individuals to choose eating habits that allows for personal, cultural, and traditional preferences while establishing a high-quality diet. This concept becomes a daunting task given the need to reduce the consumption of foods higher in saturated fat, sodium, and/or added sugar-which are typically found in familiar, highly palatable foods most-often liked and consumed in the United States. Similarly, in nutrition intervention studies, adherence to healthier dietary patterns is typically low because of many factors, including reduced taste, flavor, and familiarity to the study foods. Increasing evidence illustrates the promising role of herbs and spices to maintain acceptability of healthier food options for nutrition interventions. This perspective article was informed by a Satellite Session presented at the American Society for Nutrition's annual meeting, Nutrition 2023, entitled, "Developing Culturally Appropriate Recipes for Human Clinical Trials," which explored several proposed best practice guidelines when developing nutrition interventions to improve dietary adherence and acceptability within clinical trials. The session also highlighted a need to include sufficient detail concerning the types and amounts of specific foods included within nutrition interventions in combination with preparation methods and study recipes, including herbs and spices, to improve intervention reproducibility and translatability for future research, dietary guidelines, and clinical practice., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected human life significantly. In spite of significant advancement of medical technology, management is still focused on preventive strategies due to non availability of vaccine or any definitive treatment. The preventive strategies include hand hygiene, social distancing, isolation/quarantine along with the methods for boosting immunity. The ancient literature and several traditional practices of our country guide a hygienic life style and address several preventive aspects of transmission of infection across the society. Furthermore, healthy eating habits and use of various herbs and spices as regular food ingredients has been proven for boosting the immunity. In this review, we have tried to correlate the traditional practices with the available scientific evidences.

Southern California has witnessed a burgeoning Indian immigrant population in recent decades. And among the cultural features that most distinguishes Indians is their cuisine. Their use of herbs and spices in food and medicine, in particular, is tightly bound to language, religion, gender, and overall cultural identity. Identifying how Indian immigrants' culinary choices adapt to southern California's varied and often fast-food based gastronomy, particularly impacts on the inter-generational transmission of traditional culinary knowledge, is important in terms of understanding the role of cultural retention and assimilation, as well as culturally-defined notions of food in physical and psychological well-being. We explored these questions by means of interviews with 31 Indian immigrant women in southern California. Participants were selected by means of snowball sampling. Our working hypothesis was that problems with sourcing and cultural assimilation pressures would have eroded the use of traditional herbs and spices. A total of 66 herbs and spices (and associated seasonings) were reported. Of these, the highest frequency of use was recorded for turmeric (100% of respondents) followed by cilantro, cinnamon, clove, cumin, curry leaves, and ginger (all 97%). The highest Species Medicinal Use Values were recorded, in descending order, for turmeric, ginger, fenugreek seeds, clove, cinnamon, curry leaves, and Tulsi. Contrary to expectations, there was no significant association between years resident in the United States and decreasing use of herbs and spices. Indeed, in some cases the confluence of northern and southern Indian immigrant women with a new identity simply as “Indian” resulted in an increase in the knowledge and use of herbs and spices. Spices are nearly all locally sourced, and where specific herbs are not readily accessible, they are cultivated in homegardens or brought directly from India. Many Indian immigrants are relatively prosperous and able to travel frequently to and from India, thus maintaining close cultural ties with their homeland. Indian immigrant women are fully aware of the health benefits associated with the use of traditional herbs and spices, and all participants reported that Indian food is a healthier choice than American cuisine. Knowledge is passed via vertical transmission, primarily through mothers and grandmothers to daughters. Overall, there is little concern among female Indian immigrants to southern California that knowledge and use of their traditional herbs and spices are in a state of decline.

Herbs and spices have been used for many years as an important source of food ingredients. Recently, herbs and spices have been used as the source of medicinal materials due to its rich-bioactive compounds content. However, the knowledge about the scientific background of these herbs and spices uses in the local community is based on limited data. This work aims to study the perspective of the Tabaru ethnic group toward the use of herbs and spices as an additional food source. This study was conducted between November and December, 2018 in Halmahera Island. The data and information about the use of herbs and spices were collected from 48 locals whose ages ranged between 40 and 89 years. The main occupation of respondents was farming of mainly nutmeg, clove, and coconut. The data were analyzed based on plant uses which included spices, food, and drug use. Data on plant species were analyzed using the Cultural Food Significance Index (CFSI) formula. The results showed that the Tabaru ethnic group used approximately 14 plant species as herbs and spices. According to the CFSI values, herbs and spices in very high significance group include Curcuma longa L. (value of CFSI, 460.8), Cinnamomum burmanni (Nees & T. Nees) Neeex Blume, Myristica fragrans Houtt., Curcuma domestica Valeton, and Zingiber officinale Roscoe (CFSI, 259.2). Moreover, in the high significance category, Capsicum annuum L. is listed with high CFSI score reaching 86.4. In the moderate significance category, we found about four species, namely Ocimum americanum L. and Ocimum americanum L. (CFSI, 48.6), Etlingera heliconiifolia (K. Schum.) AD Poulsen (CFSI, 24.3), Alpinia galanga (L.) Willd. (CFSI, 23,625). Finally, two species of Etlingera elatior (Jack) R.M.Sm. (CFSI, 17.82) and Alpinia eremochlamys K.Schum. (CFSI, 15.53) were in the low significance group. In conclusion, the value of CFSI has a positive correlation to the utilization and the conservation level of herbs and spices of Tabaru ethnic group in Halmahera Island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected human life significantly. In spite of significant advancement of medical technology, management is still focused on preventive strategies due to non availability of vaccine or any definitive treatment. The preventive strategies include hand hygiene, social distancing, isolation/quarantine along with the methods for boosting immunity. The ancient literature and several traditional practices of our country guide a hygienic life style and address several preventive aspects of transmission of infection across the society. Furthermore, healthy eating habits and use of various herbs and spices as regular food ingredients has been proven for boosting the immunity. In this review, we have tried to correlate the traditional practices with the available scientific evidences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of different decontamination treatments on the quality of dehydrated thyme, coriander, and mustard. Treatments applied were: (i) ultraviolet radiation treatment irradiation; (ii) steam, (iii) steam–ultraviolet radiation treatment; (iv) humidification–ultraviolet radiation treatment, and (v) steam–humidification–ultraviolet radiation treatment. Their effectiveness to control indigenous aerobic mesophiles and yeasts and molds population was assessed by plate count. The effect of proposed treatments on total polyphenol contents and antioxidant activity was also evaluated. Furthermore, the effect of treatments on spices performance to prevent canola oil oxidation was also analyzed. The use of steam–ultraviolet radiation treatment in aqueous medium was the most effective for decontamination, reducing the aerobic mesophiles and yeasts and molds counts between 1.0 and 2.2 log CFU/g dry spice. This treatment decreased significantly the polyphenol content and the antioxidant capacity of the three spices analyzed. However, in the case of mustard, the residual antioxidant compounds were able to control canola oil oxidation more efficiently than butylated hydroxytoluene. Results suggest that the use of steam–ultraviolet radiation treatment in aqueous medium can be useful in food preservation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibacterial and antioxidant activities form an essential component of the bioactive properties of plant products. The antibacterial and the antioxidant properties of three types of aqueous extracts of four herbs and spices were evaluated. While the total phenolic content, DPPH radical scavenging activity and oxidoreduction potential methods were used for the antioxidant properties determination, the inhibition diameters of extracts toward the growth of Staphylococcus warneri, Bacillus cereus, Enterobacter cloacae and Proteus vulgaris were evaluated. Although the phenolic content did not correlate with the antibacterial activity of plant extracts, it linearly correlated (R2 = 0.827) with DPPH scavenging activity of the studied plants following the order: sumac > ginger > rosemary > cinnamon. The oxidoreduction potential values linearly correlated with both the phenolic content (R2 ≈ 0.88) and DPPH scavenging activity values (R2 ≈ 0.96). The oxidoreduction potential could be proposed as a useful companion tool combined with other techniques when determining the antioxidant activity of plant extracts and food products is considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foods lower in saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars (ie, overconsumed dietary components) must have an acceptable flavor profile to promote intake. The aim of this research was to model the influence of using herbs/spices as flavor-enhancers when reducing overconsumed dietary components in commonly consumed foods and evaluate acceptance of these flavor-enhanced reformulations. Ten leading sources of overconsumed dietary components were identified using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2015-2018 dietary data. These foods were reformulated to reduce overconsumed dietary components and herbs/spices were used to preserve acceptability. The influence of consumer adoption of the reformulated foods on intake of overconsumed dietary components was modeled using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. Consumer acceptability of the reformulated recipes was assessed with blind taste testing. Dietary data from adults aged 19 years and older (n = 9,812) included in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2015-2018 were used to identify foods for reformulation and model the potential influence of reformulation. The blind taste testing included 85 to 107 consumers per panel. Estimated daily change in total intake of saturated fat, sodium, added sugars, and energy with intake of the reformulated foods instead of the original foods. Consumer ratings of overall liking of the reformulated recipes vs the original recipes were assessed using standard 9-point hedonic scales. Descriptive statistics with use of survey procedures were used to model the influence of reformulated food adoption. Mixed effect models were used for analysis of the blind tasting data. With intake of the reformulated foods, instead of the original versions, by 25% to 100% of current consumers, estimates suggest lowering of saturated fat (25% consumer adoption to 100% consumer adoption –2.9% to –11.4%, respectively), sodium (–3.2 to –11.5%, respectively), and added sugars (–0.5 to –2.7%, respectively) intake. The overall liking ratings for seven of the 10 reformulated foods were superior or at parity with the original foods. This proof-of-concept research suggests that using herbs/spices to create flavor-enhanced recipes lower in overconsumed dietary components has the potential to reduce intake and is acceptable to consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drying as one of the oldest food preservation processes is also the most energy demanding process. Nowadays, when conventional energy sources are declining, reduction/rationalization of energy consumptions in industrial processes is of great importance. One of the more successful ways of saving energy and make the process energy efficient is the integration of heat pumps within the existing technological processes. Heat pump systems are successfully used for different applications such as heating and cooling, and drying as well. In addition, the quality of final dried product is a priority that can be accomplished by heat pump assisted drying systems. This paper presents up-to-date survey in the field of air source heat pump assisted drying of food: fruit, vegetables, herbs and spices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In this study, we evaluated attitudes about seasoning vegetables, its influence on intake, and purchasing intentions. Methods: A 14-item questionnaire was developed by the research team based on related literature. The questionnaire was validated using cognitive interviews. Qualtrics delivered the questionnaire to a predetermined sample (N = 1026). Results: Most respondents seasoned their vegetables with herbs and spices (>50% at 75% or at 100% of the time). Use of herbs and spices was higher in respondents who were younger (ß = -.230, p < .001), reported high intake of non-starchy vegetables (β = .138, p < .001), were Asians or Pacific Islanders (β = .078, p = .013), or had more positive attitudes about herbs and spices (β = .262, p < .001). Overall, attitudes towards seasoning vegetables were positive; the measure enhances taste was the highest scoring belief. When asked if they would purchase a seasoned or unseasoned vegetable in a restaurant, seasoned vegetables were selected over unseasoned for all vegetables queried (chi-square values with p < .001). Conclusion: Using herbs and spices in vegetable preparation appeared to be common practice, with mostly positive attitudes towards the practice. With suboptimal vegetable intake, using herbs and spices on vegetables should be explored as a means of increasing intake and sales in foodservice establishments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to recognize herb and spice consumption habits as well as to explore certain factors having an influence on it in seven (Austria, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Slovakia, the Netherlands) member states of the European Union. A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted in each country, comprising of 1731 European adults regularly preparing food at home. Pepper and paprika, as well as parsley and basil were found to be the most frequently consumed spices and herbs, respectively. Validation of the ‘spice consumption’ model indicated that knowledge regarding health issues of herbs and spices was of high importance, which may have had favourable effects on the consumption habits. In conclusion, this study suggests that emphasising of health issues − directly or as incorporated into gastronomic elements − can be a useful tool for the expansion of herb and spice consumption, as well as globalizing of national cuisines and the consumption of typical national spices and country specific characteristics which can be still identified in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spices and herbs, which are consumed in small quantities, but used in a wide range of foods and food products, represent a unique segment within the food sector. Moreover, being distributed as mostly in their dried, low water activity formats and associated with very complex distribution product chains, specific concerns as regards food safety apply to these particular commodities. To promote the capability of the food sector and the society to detect, respond to and prevent bio-threats, data generated from the EU FP7 project “Securing the spices and herbs commodity chains in Europe against deliberate, accidental or natural biological and chemical contamination” (SPICED) are presented thematically including: general considerations, issues of sampling, chemical and microbial contamination, and food chain and societal aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Elderly residents with high salt taste threshold have higher dietary intake of sodium. • Elderly residents perceived 30% sodium reduced foods as significantly less salty. • Blend of herbs and spices efficiently enhanced saltiness in meals for elderly. • Sodium reduction of 30% was highly acceptable by the elderly nursing home residents. Dietary intake of sodium by the elderly population in nursing homes should be monitored due to the greater sensitivity of elderly people to sodium. This study aimed to explore any associations between sodium intake and salt taste perception in an institutionalized elderly population and to research the potential of sodium reduction by the use of herbs and spices. The study included 123 senior citizens in nursing home who were on average 80.7 (±5.8) years old. The nutritionist collected data on sodium intake by using 24-hour recall on two non-consecutive days, and taste perception was assessed by salty taste detection and recognition thresholds. An intervention study of sodium reduction was tested on three categories of dishes, potentially high sources of sodium. The participants were divided into three intervention groups, the control group, the 30 % sodium reduction group, and the 30 % sodium reduction with an added blend of herbs and spices. The elderly's average sodium intake exceeded the recommendation by 70 %. The study determined a significant positive correlation between sodium intake and a higher salt taste threshold (r = 0.17; p < 0.05). The saltiness of sodium-reduced foods was significantly lower than the control, but herbs and spices enhanced the saltiness, and the intensity was the same as the control. The liking for sodium-reduced meals was the same as for the control. A declining salty taste is an important determinant of elderly nursing home residents' adherence to the dietary recommendation for sodium intake. Reducing sodium content in meals through the careful addition of spices and herbs aids elderly people in maintaining healthy dietary habits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scope: This study aims to characterize the phytochemicals in commonly consumed herbs/spices (H/S) in the United States and their pharmacokinetic profile (PK) over 24 h in humans after consumption., Method and Results: The clinical trial is a randomized, single-blinded, four-arm, 24 h, multi-sampling, single-center crossover design (Clincaltrials.gov NCT03926442) conducted in obese/overweight adults (n = 24, aged 37 ± 3 years, BMI = 28.4 ± 0.6 kg m -2 ). Study subjects consume a high-fat high-carbohydrate meal with salt and pepper (control) or the control meal with 6 g of three different H/S mixtures (Italian herb: rosemary, basil, thyme, oregano, and parsley in the same ratio; cinnamon; and pumpkin pie spice containing cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice, the ratio is unknown). Three H/S mixtures are analyzed and 79 phytochemicals are tentatively identified and quantified. Following H/S consumption, 47 metabolites are tentatively identified and quantified in plasma samples. The PK data suggest that some metabolites appear in blood as early as 0.5 h while others can extend up to 24 h., Conclusion: Phytochemicals from H/S include in a meal are absorbed and undergo phase I and phase II metabolism and/or catabolized to phenolic acids peaking at different times., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

There is an increasing strong desire for natural and nature-derived flavor enhancers as a result of the health benefits they confer. The combination of herbs, spices, and seafood was used to develop seasonings that can be used as replacement for commercially produced flavor enhancers, which usually contain chemically synthesized monosodium glutamate.Ethmalosa fimbriataorCaprius gariepinus, garlic or ginger, onion, moringa, shrimp, salt, and basil were processed and combined in different proportions to make the various seasonings. The products have significantly higher crude fat, crude protein, and calcium contents compared to the control. The seasoning containingE. fimbriataand ginger had the highest DPPH (1, 1- diphenyl-2-picryhydrazyl) inhibition potential (46.00 ± 5.08%) and total phenolics (17.59 ± 1.47 mg gallic acid equivalents, GAE/g) content, with significantly lower lipid peroxidation (35.58 ± 2.54%). Seasonings with ginger had significantly higher overall acceptability. The developed seasonings can conveniently be used as replacement for the commercially available controls in culinary. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

[Display omitted] • Non-destructive analysis (green, fast, accurate) is the trend of authentication. • Quality authentication methods based on multi-source information are superior. • Each step in the quality authentication process is essential and challenging. • The different quality attributes of herbs and spices can be well described. The growing concerns about the quality and safety of herbs and spices among consumers have increased the demand for technical testing. Recently, non-destructive analysis techniques have been widely studied and applied. Generally, a single technology has certain limitations, which are not enough to fully describe the characteristics of complex products (dynamic or complex structure). Combining non-destructive analysis technology (multi-source information) can overcome the above problems. The present review focused on applying multi-source and non-destructive information on herbs and spices quality authentication, including vibration spectroscopy and electronic sensor technologies. Then summarized and analyzed the authentication process for issues such as adulteration, contents prediction, geographical traceability, process and products analysis, and identification variety. Additionally, we presented trends in quality authentication, discussed the challenges and prospects, and made recommendations. This investigation provided clear evidence for the superiority of the quality authentication methods for herbs and spices based on multi-source and non-destructive information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • New methods to control the authenticity of oregano were developed. • Successful origin and variety assessment of oregano. • Detection of 10 % adulteration in oregano with myrtle, sumac, olive and cistus. • Batch to batch control of oregano possible with several analytical techniques. • NIR, MIR, GC–MS, PTR-TOF-MS and hyperspectral imaging, combined with chemometrics. Several analytical techniques, i.e. spectroscopic techniques as Near Infrared (NIR) and Mid-Infrared (MIR), Hyper Spectral Imaging (HSI), Gas Chromatography coupled to Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS) and Proton-transfer Reaction Time-of-Flight Mass spectrometry (PTR-TOF-MS), combined with chemometrics, are examined to evaluate their potential to solve different food authenticity questions on the case of oregano. In total, 102 oregano samples from one harvest season were analyzed for origin and variety assessment, 159 samples for adulteration-assessment and 72 samples for batch-to-batch control. The Gaussian Process Latent Variable Model (GP-LVM) was applied as technique to obtain a reduced two-dimensional space. A Random Forest Regression algorithm was used as regression model for the adulteration assessment. Prediction rates of more than 89% could be achieved for origin assessment. For variety assessment, prediction rates of more than 78% could be obtained. Batch-to-batch control could be successfully performed with NIR and PTR-TOF-MS. Detection of adulteration could be successfully performed from 10% on with HSI, NIR and PTR-TOF-MS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the usage patterns of herbs and spices among Australians and to identify how herbs and spices were consumed by respondents from different social backgrounds. Design/methodology/approach – In all, 1,023 adult Australians completed an online survey and ranked the frequencies of use of 21 herbs and spices and provided details of their demographics, cooking intentions and household types. Findings – Latent class analysis was applied and three types of usage patterns were identified, including high use, moderate use and low use of herbs and spices. The usage patterns were associated differentially with several covariates. For example, the chance of being in the high-usage group was positively associated with age, number of adults living in the household and cooking evening meals from scratch, but negatively related to levels of education and possession of cooking or culinary qualifications. Moreover, respondents who cooked their evening meals from scratch and who were not interested in receiving information or advice about making inexpensive but tasty meals were more likely to be in the moderate- rather than the low-usage group. Originality/value – The identification of groups of users of herbs and spices would enable health communications to be tailored to enhance the use of herbs and spices and reduce the use of other flavouring agent including fat, sugar and salt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of herbs, spices, and whey proteins as natural alternatives to current flavor enhancers in reduced-salt ready-meals was investigated. Individual addition of garlic, rosemary, oregano, and sage at varying concentrations (0.1–0.5%) significantly improved the acceptability of each ready-meal and thus they are recommended as natural flavor enhancers in similar formulations (p < 0.05). However, both clove and pimento proved unacceptable as individual additions to ready-meals and therefore are not advised for individual use. Acceptability tests were subsequently utilized to formulate spice blends for inclusion in ready-meals. Incorporation of a spice blend consisting of garlic, rosemary, oregano, sage, and pimento in cottage pie and a blend of garlic, rosemary, and sage in chicken supreme significantly increased their acceptability (p < 0.05) and hence they are recommended for use in comparable formulations. Two lactoferrin whey proteins significantly increased the mean acceptability for each ready-meal at all addition concentrations (0.1–0.5%), thus demonstrating their potential as novel salt substitutes (p < 0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Herbs and spices not only variety and racy flavour to Korean foods, they also are the richest source for antioxidant power. The present study evaluates the radical scavenging-linked antioxidant activities of hot water extracts from commonly used herbs and spices in Korea. 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical and superoxide anion scavenging activities of bay extract were 39.5% and 22.1%, respectively. The hydroxyl radical scavenging activity was in order of dill (50.0%) > bay (31.3%) > garlic (27.9%) > white pepper and black pepper (15.1-15.3%) > onion (10.1%) extracts. Bay extract had the highest total phenolic content (17.86 μg CE/g). High correlation coefficients were found between the total phenol content and DPPH radical scavenging activity ( R = 0.9162). These results indicate that herbs and spices had high antioxidant activity that is partly due to the phenolic compounds and provide basic data for further development of processed food products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The total phenol content, antioxidant and pro-oxidant activities of deodourised, water-soluble aniseed, basil, caraway, cardamon, fennel, ginger, juniper, laurel and parsley extracts were estimated using a number of in vitro assays. The laurel and basil extracts contained the highest phenol content of 107.3±1.3 GAE [mg gallic acid equivalents/g (dry wt.) extract] and 98.5±1.4 GAE, respectively, whilst the ginger extract contained the lowest content at 14.9±0.9 GAE. Juniper, laurel and basil extracts were consistently better than the other extracts in terms of iron(III) reducing activity, inhibition of β-carotene-linoleate thermal co-oxidation and N,N-dimethyl-p-phenylenediamine and hydroxyl radical scavenging assays. Potential pro-oxidant activities of the extracts were assessed using both DNA and bovine serum albumin (BSA) as substrates. None of the extracts were capable of stimulating hydroxyl-mediated DNA fragmentation; however, the extracts could be categorised in the protein oxidation assay as extracts with (i) no significant (p >0.05) effect, (ii) a significant (p <0.05) protective effect or (iii) a significant (p <0.05) pro-oxidant effect. The extracts from juniper, laurel and basil had a pro-oxidative effect upon BSA at a dose of 2mg/ml, as estimated from the degree of carbonylation measured. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Herbs and spices containing essential oils (EOs) in the range of 0.05–0.1% have demonstrated activity against pathogens, such as Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus, in food systems. Application of herbs, spices and EOs with antimicrobial effects comparable to synthetic additives is still remote for three major reasons: limited data about their effects in food, strong odor, and high cost. Combinations of techniques have been successfully applied in several in-food and in vitro experiments. This paper aims to review recent in-food applications of EOs and plant-origin natural antimicrobials and recent techniques for screening such compounds. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]