Role of isolated compounds from spices and herbs in natural medicinal care or therapy-A review

Spices and Herbs have a long history of medicinal uses. It includes turmeric, basil, mace, cinnamon, ginger, etc. [1]. Spices are not only used in India as well as in other countries right from the kitchen and medicinal uses in homes. Spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark or other plant substance primarily used for coloring, flavoring and preserving food. Herbs are the leaves, flowers and stem from plants used for flavoring, or as garnishing. Medicinal and aromatic plants have also been used therapeutically to improve the health and well-being of animals, most were given for prophylactic purposes and to improve growth rate and feed conversion ratio efficiency [2, 3]. The alternatives to antibiotics as growth stimulators from the group of prebiotics, probiotics, organic acids, essential oils, medicinal plants, or parts of plants such as thyme, basil, oregano, pepper, and plenty of others are numerous [2]. This chapter includes a wide variety of isolated compounds such as phenolic compounds and flavonoids present in spices are now experimentally documented to possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenic, and anti-carcinogenic activities. It also includes a list of spices compounds that are experimentally evidenced to control cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cataract, cancer, etc.