Health Benefits of Spices with Special Reference to Antimicrobial Activity and Bio Active Components

Abstract

A spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark or vegetative material used in nutritionally insignificant amount as a food supplement for the reason of flavouring and imparting taste. Spices are defined as "a strongly flavoured or aromatic substance of vegetable origin, obtained from tropical plants, commonly used as a condiment". In ancient times, spices were as valuable as metal gold; and as noteworthy as medicines and perfumes. No country in the world cultivates as a lot of kinds of spices as India with quality spices come from Kerala, an Indian state. Because of the varying climates in India-from tropical to sub-tropical, temperate-almost all spices are grown in this country. In almost all of the 28 states and seven union territories of India, at least one spice is grown in profusion. The present study was made on the antimicrobial aspects of spice with reference to bioactive components.