Phytochemical and Elemental analysis of Culinary Herbs and Spices used in Traditional Cuisines of Asian subcontinent

Plant based natural products are the oldest therapeutic agents throughout the history of mankind. Spices and herbs derived from plants are used in food to produce taste and aroma. These are considered as an essential element in cooking practices of many cultures. Spices and herbs are also a rich source of bioactive compounds of medicinal interest known as phytochemicals or secondary metabolites. There are a number of active drugs that has been isolated from plant materials. The phytochemical screening of selected spices demonstrated that most of them contained compounds of great medicinal and dietary values like saponins, flavonoids, steroids, terpenoids, phenolic compounds, cardiac glycosides, anthocyanins, tannins, and carbohydrates. The essential and trace metal concentration was determined by ICP-OES. All the samples were rich in amount of Na, K, Ca, Fe, Zn, Cu, Co and Mn that play various vital physiological roles in human health. This study revealed that the use of spices and herbs not only enhance the flavor of the food but also impart the health benefits due to presence of important phytochemicals and essential elements.