DIETARY SPICES AS ANTI-HYPERLIPIDEMIC AGENTS WITH THEIR BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS FOR CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH: A REVIEW

Hyperlipidemia is associated with elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels which is a risk factor for atherosclerosis. Spices being an integral part of culinary culture around the world are known to possess anti-cholesterol compounds and increase the high density lipoprotein cholesterol. This review presents a comprehensive scientific data on the anticholesterol/hypolipidemic activities of various spices used in traditional medicine and cuisine. Bioactive compounds from spices with anti-hyperlipidemic activities and their mode of action are summarized. The findings reaffirm the importance of spices by suggesting their anti-hyperlipdemic/anti-cholesterol activities to prevent cardiovascular diseases.

The Effect of Curcumin Supplementation on Anthropometric Measures among Overweight or Obese Adults

Over the past decades, the worldwide prevalence of obesity has dramatically increased, thus posing a serious public health threat. Obesity is associated with the development of comorbid conditions and psychological disorders. Several lifestyle interventions have been proposed to tackle obesity; however, long-term maintenance of these interventions often proves challenging. In addition, among the different types of diets there is still a debate about the optimal macronutrient composition that will achieve the best results in weight loss. Recently, several commonly used spices such as pepper, ginger, and curcumin have been shown to play a beneficial role in obesity management. Therefore, exploring the effects of certain herbs or dietary spices on obesity may be promising. Among these spices, curcumin, which is the primary component of the spice turmeric, has gained great interest for its multiple health benefits. Several randomized controlled trials have investigated the potential favorable effects of curcumin supplementation on anthropometric measures. The aim of this review is to evaluate the effect of curcumin supplementation on the anthropometric indices among overweight or obese adults.

Evaluation of the curative role, Anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative activity of some dietary spices on carrageenan induced paw edema in albino Wistar rats

Background: Inflammation is a major burning problem worldwide and billions of individuals are affected. Some of the spices used daily in Algerian cuisine have been known to possess major anti-inflammatory effects. Turmeric, red pepper, ginger, cinnamon and cumin etc. are a few of the wide spectrum of spices used in Algeria. The aim of the study was to investigate the antiinflammatory effect and anti actvity of some dietary spices in carrageenan induced models of inflammation on Wistar rats. Methods: Albino wistar rats were divided into four groups. Inflammation was induced on the animal by injecting the right hand paw with carrageenan (0.1 ml of 1%). Group 1 was fed with food and water and treated with carrageenan (control) whereas group 2 and 3 treated with different doses (100 and 200 mg/kg/bw) of aqueous extract of some dietary spices with carrageenan, respectively. Group 4 treated with standard drug diclofenac sodium (10 mg/kg b.w., reference drug for inflammation), once for 24 hrs. Results: The content of total phenolic was 137.2±21.6 mg/g and flavonoids 122.3±5.8 mg/g. After 60, 120, 180, 240 and 300 min, the data indicate that some dietary spices 100 and 200 mg/kg was significantly effective reducing paw edema volumes induced by carrageenan compared to control (p <0.01). The levels of serum pro-inflammatory white blood cells, neutrophile, lymphocyte, monocyte, eosinophile, total protein and protein c reactive and total cephalin KADIN and platelts in the control group were significantly increased by carrageenan injection compared with the normal group. The rats pretreated with some spices 100 and 200 mg/kg had significantly lower levels of pro-inflammatory to compare control group. The paw edema in carrageenan-induced rats was considerably reduced by treating with 100 and 200 mg/kg aqueous extract of some dietary spices when compared to the untreated rats (p<0.001). Conclusion : The present results clearly demonstarted that carrageenan significantly increased paw edema whereas some dietary treated rats significantly decreased the paw edema. The study underlines the importance of some of the frequently used spices (Turmeric, red pepper, ginger, cinnamon and cumin) in the treatment of inflammation.

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.

Anti-atherosclerotic effects of spice-derived phytochemicals

: Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the world. Atherosclerosis is characterized by oxidized lipid deposition, and inflammation in the arterial wall and represents a significant problem in public health and medicine. Some dietary spices have been widely used in many countries; however, the mechanism of their action as it relates to the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis is still poorly understood. In this review, we focus on the properties of various spice-derived active ingredients used in the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis, as well as associated atherosclerotic risk factors. We provide a summary of the mechanisms of action, epidemiological analyses, and studies of various components of spice used in the clinic, animal models, and cell lines related to atherosclerosis. Most notably, we focused on mechanisms of action by which these spice-derived compounds elicit their lipid-lowering, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory properties, as well as their involvement in selected biochemical and signal transduction pathways. It is suggested that future research should aim to design well-controlled clinical trials and more thoroughly investigate the role of spices and their active components in the prevention/treatment of atherosclerosis. Based on this literature review, it appears that spices and their active components are well tolerated and have few adverse side effects and, therefore, provide a promising adjunctive treatment strategy for patients with atherosclerosis.

Discovery of Antibacterial Dietary Spices That Target Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria

Although spice extracts are well known to exhibit antibacterial properties, there is lack of a comprehensive evaluation of the antibacterial effect of spices against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In the present study, ethanolic extracts from a total of 67 spices were comprehensively investigated for their in vitro antibacterial activities by agar well diffusion against two common food-borne bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella enteritidis, with multi-drug resistance. Results showed that S. aureus was generally more sensitive to spice extracts than S. enteritidis. Of the 67 spice extracts, 38 exhibited antibacterial activity against drug-resistant S. aureus, while only four samples were effective on drug-resistant S. enteritidis. In addition, 11 spice extracts with inhibition zones greater than 15 mm were further verified for their broad-spectrum antibacterial properties using another 10 drug-resistant S. aureus strains. It was found that five spice extracts, including galangal, fructus galangae, cinnamon, yellow mustard seed, and rosemary, exhibited the highest antibacterial capacity. Further cytotoxicity of these 11 spices was determined and LC50 values were found to be more than 100 μg/mL except for galangal, rosemary, and sage, whose LC50 values were 9.32 ± 0.83, 19.77 ± 2.17, and 50.54 ± 2.57, respectively. Moreover, the antioxidant activities (ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) values) and total phenolic content (TPC) of spice extracts were determined to establish possible correlations with the antibacterial activity. Although the antibacterial effect was positively correlated with the antioxidant activities and TPC, the correlation was weak (r < 0.5), indicating that the antibacterial activity could also be attributed to other components besides antioxidant polyphenols in the tested spice extracts. In conclusion, dietary spices are good natural sources of antibacterial agents to fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, with potential applications as natural food preservatives and natural alternatives to antibiotics in animal feeding.

Use of Natural Dietary Spices for Reclamation of Food Quality Impairment by Aflatoxin

Certain natural dietary spices, in addition to their use in food flavoring and preservation, have the ability to detoxify or degrade a wide range of chemical carcinogens. In the present study, aqueous extracts of judiciously selected natural dietary spices were evaluated for their ability to degrade aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). A total of 9 spices including garlic (Allium sativum), ginger (Zingiber officinale), black cumin (Nigella sativum), clove (Syzygium aromaticum), sacred basil (Ocimum basilicum), lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratusL. (DC)Stapf)), thyme (Thymus schimperi), fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum), and lemon traditionally used by the Ethiopian Community for food flavoring and preservation were considered. Aflatoxin degradation efficacy of the spice extracts was studied through determination of the toxin in extract-treated and nontreated samples using LC-MS/MS. The degradation was characterized by electrochemical methods based on the characteristic oxidation peak of phenolic hydroxyl resulting from the degradation of the toxin after treatment with the extracts. Of the various spices, garlic showed the highest 35.8% (30 min) to 61.7% (1 hr) in spiked and 46.7% (30 min) to 68.3% (1 hr) and real-sample (contaminated maize) treatment reduction followed by lemon 34.2% (30 min) to 56.0% (1 hr) in spiked and 41.1% (30 min) to 60.6% (1 hr) in real-sample treatment at 25°C. The level of reduction was higher in real-sample treatment than that in spiked. This suggests adsorptive contribution by the matrix in addition to the chemical degradation. The current findings revealed nonobvious benefits of the use of natural dietary spices as effective solution for AFB1 degradation and decontamination of food.