Potential health benefits of commonly used spices in Sri Lanka: A review

Nifras M.M.M.*, Muthalib A.M.

Abstract

A spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark or flower of a plant or an herb used in small quantities as flavoring agent, coloring agent, food additive and preservative. Sri Lanka as a tropical island of Indian Ocean, has been famous for its quality spices since time immemorial. Globalization has made these spices easily available, and increasing their popularity. A literature search was carried out to gather the information available in the literature on selected spices in the view of part used, temperament, therapeutic action and uses, and recent scientific evidences of phytochemical analysis and pharmacological activities. All the available information was compiled from Unani textbooks and Pharmacopoeias and electronic databases such as Google scholar and PubMed. While reviewing the literature, it revealed spices are functional foods and those can be demonstrated to have a beneficial effect on the body beyond basic nutritional requirements. The active phytochemicals derived from these spices have provided the scientific basis for the pharmacological actions. Nowadays, people are increasingly interested in spice, not only to enhance the flavor of cuisine, but for the collective evidence in complementary and alternative medicine. Researches are progressing and mounting evidences which support the therapeutic benefits of spices. This study was aimed to review the potential benefits of some traditional spices commonly used in Sri Lanka.