Abstract
Culinary herbs are the fresh or dried leaves of herbaceous plants that are used as a food flavouring. Many of these plants are further recognized for their beneficial health effects because, besides their nutritional value, they are rich in many phytochemical components with bioactive effects. The aim of the present work was to make a general overview of some of these herbs, including their gastronomic usage, chemical composition in bioactive components and reported health effects. It was possible to verify that researchers are continuously exploring the chemical composition and the possible therapeutic uses of many herbs commonly used for culinary purposes. The most frequently reported health effects include antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiviral effects. These properties have been confirmed through in vitro assays, sometimes also through in vivo experiments, and some others even with clinical trials, thus confirming their effects on humans.
Keywords: Culinary herbs, bioactive molecules, chemical constituents, human health.
Current Nutrition & Food Science
Title:Chemistry and Health Effects of Bioactive Compounds in Selected Culinary Aromatic Herbs
Volume: 11 Issue: 2
Author(s): Raquel P. F. Guine and Fernando J. Goncalves
Affiliation:
Keywords: Culinary herbs, bioactive molecules, chemical constituents, human health.
Abstract: Culinary herbs are the fresh or dried leaves of herbaceous plants that are used as a food flavouring. Many of these plants are further recognized for their beneficial health effects because, besides their nutritional value, they are rich in many phytochemical components with bioactive effects. The aim of the present work was to make a general overview of some of these herbs, including their gastronomic usage, chemical composition in bioactive components and reported health effects. It was possible to verify that researchers are continuously exploring the chemical composition and the possible therapeutic uses of many herbs commonly used for culinary purposes. The most frequently reported health effects include antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiviral effects. These properties have been confirmed through in vitro assays, sometimes also through in vivo experiments, and some others even with clinical trials, thus confirming their effects on humans.
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Cite this article as:
P. F. Guine Raquel and J. Goncalves Fernando, Chemistry and Health Effects of Bioactive Compounds in Selected Culinary Aromatic Herbs, Current Nutrition & Food Science 2015; 11 (2) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1573401311666150327001113
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1573401311666150327001113 |
Print ISSN 1573-4013 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 2212-3881 |
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