Abstract
Spices and herbs have a long history of medicinal uses. They include
turmeric, basil, mace, cinnamon, ginger, etc. [1]. Ginseng and Ginkgo biloba are
reportedly used to improve stamina and cognitive performance. Spices are used in all
the countries for different purposes, such as in cooking and medicines, etc. Spice is a
seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for coloring, flavoring,
and preserving food. Herbs are the leaves, flowers, stems from plants used for flavoring
or as garnishing. Medicinal and aromatic plants have also been used therapeutically to
improve the health and wellbeing of animals; most were used for prophylactic purposes
and to improve the 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 flavanoids present in
spices, which are now experimentally documented to possess antioxidant, antiinflammatory,
antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic activities. It also includes a list of
spices compounds that are experimentally evidenced to control cardiovascular diseases,
diabetes, cataract, cancer, etc.
Keywords: Herbs, In-vitro, Isolated compounds, Spices.