Tropical spices

Spices have become commercial products ia over 70 countries of the world and may be produced ia almost every country that can grow crops. However, many species of botanicals can be grown only ia particular climates or have particular soil requirements. The warm, moist, tropical climates foster the growth of more species than any other areas the traditional or tropical spices origiaated ia these areas. 

Desai, H. G., and R. H. Kalro. Effect of black pepper asafetida on the DNA content of gastric aspirates. Indian J Med Res 1985 81 325-329. Shashikanth, K. N., and A. Hosono. In vitro mutagenicity of tropical spices to streptomycin dependent strains of Salmonella typhimurium TA98. Agr Biol Chem 1986 50(11) 2947-2948. Kamboj, V. P. A review of Indian medicinal plants with interceptive activity. Indian J Med Res 1988 1988(4) 336-355. 

Lawrence, B.M. (1978) Major tropical spices - cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum). In Hagers Handbuch der pharmazeutischen Praxis (Ed. Franz von Bruchhausen) Allured Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois, pp. 105-155. 

Lawrence, B.M. (1979) Major tropical spices - nutmeg and mace (M. fragrans Houtt.). In Essential Oils 1978. Allured Publishing Corp., Carol Stream, Illinois, pp. 50-103. 

Another report showed curcumin (a component of many tropical spices) as a novel histone acetyl transferase (HAT) inhibitor [53]. The report showed that curcumin could block acetylation of histone and p53 in vivo, which led to apoptosis of Hela cells. Therefore, potential in the future exists to develop HAT inhibitors for managing cancers. 

Spices are aromatic vegetable substances used to provide flavor and aroma. A convenient classification for spices might be the following (a) the tropical spices such as pepper and cinnamon, (b) herbs such as sage and rosemary, and (c) seed spices such as mustard and sesame [4]. 

Shashkanth, K.N., and A. Hosono. 1986. In vitro mutagenicity of tropical spices to Sfrepfomyciw-dependent strains of Salmonella typhimurium TA98. Agric. Biol. Chem. 50(ll) 2947-2948. 

Lawrence published Mace as part of his Major Tropical Spices series... 

A published study of nutmeg and mace is included in Lawrence s Major Tropical Spice Series [159]. Other analytical studies have also been reviewed by the same author [170-176]. 

Pimento was studied, reviewed and reported as part of Lawrence s Major Tropical Spice Series [196] and elsewhere [197, 198]. 

Lawrence, B.M. (1978) Clove - Major Tropical Spice Series. Essential Oils, 1976-8, p. 84-145. Muchamed, M. and Crouzet, J. (1980) Proceedings 8th ICEO, Cannes, France, pp. 255-8. Lawrence, B.M. (1979) Essential Oils, 1979-80, p. 33-4. 

B. M. Lawrence, Major Tropical Spices— Pepper (Piper nigrum L.) Essential Oils 1979-1980, Allured Publishing Corp., Weaton, IL, 1981. 

There are increasing much attention and interest in natural antioxidant, one of the most important nutraceuticals, not only for food preservation but for the prevention of numerous diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes and cancer, induced by oxidative stress (/). Our group has been engaging in isolation and structure elucidation of efficient antioxidants from natural resources, particularly from tropical spices and herbs (2-5). Recently we have focused on the subtropical plants, which grow in Yaeyama Islands, Okinawa, die southernmost part of Japan. Okinawa is well known as the island frmous for world s highest longevity. The plants used in this study are Peucedanum japonicum Thunb... 

Thirty-three tropical spices and herbs originated in Southeast Asia were collected, two of which were belonging to the family Lauraceae, two to Myristicaceae, two to Myrtaceae, one to Ranunculaceae, one to Rutaceae, and 25 to Zingiberaceae. In preliminary screening of their antioxidant activity, extraction of each plant using some solvents with a different polarity afforded the non-polar and polar extracts. 

Various structural types of antioxidants were obtained from some tropical spices. Their antioxidant properties were dependent on their own chemical structures and the physicochemical state of the lipid substrate. 

Nowadays, it is generally acceptable that antioxidants play an important role not only in food industry, increasing the shelf life of food products and improving the stability of lipid-containing foods, but also in preventing radical-induced diseases such as cancer and atherosclerosis. From nutraceuticai viewpoint, these tropical spices might be one of the important foodstuffs which provide human health benefits. 

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