Culinary herbs and spices: what can human studies tell us about their role in the prevention of chronic non-communicable diseases?

Association between dietary quality and the prevalence of periodontitis in older Korean adults aged 60 or over

PURPOSE

This study investigated the association between dietary quality and the prevalence of periodontitis in older Korean adults (≥60 years of age) using data from the seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES VII, 2016-2018).

METHODS

Among the 16,489 KNHANES participants from 2016-2018, those aged ≥60 years were selected as the eligible population. After applying our exclusion criteria, 3,527 participants were included in the final study population. Periodontal status was measured using the Community Periodontal Index (CPI). To determine the association between dietary quality and the prevalence of periodontitis, analysis of variance, the chi-square (χ²) test, and logistic regression analysis were performed.

RESULTS

The population was divided into quartile groups and stratified by sex. The percentage of men and women with periodontitis was 54.34% and 42.74%, respectively. The quartile with higher Korean Healthy Eating Index scores had a lower percentage of people with periodontitis in both sexes. For men, only vegetable intake showed a significant difference between sub-groups with or without periodontitis, whereas, for women, the intake of fruits, milk, sweets, carbohydrates, and fats showed significant differences. There was a strong positive association between vegetable intake and periodontitis in men in the 3 models used in this study; model 3 had an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 1.367 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.091-1.712). In women, a strong positive association with periodontitis was shown for sweets in all 3 models, with an aOR of 1.477 in model 3 (95% CI, 1.125-1.939).

CONCLUSIONS

Dietary quality was inversely associated with the prevalence of periodontitis in Korean adults aged ≥60 years. Further comprehensive studies are needed to help establish nutrition and health policies for older adults in Korea.

Associations between diet quality, demographics, health conditions and spice and herb intake of adults with chronic kidney disease

Scant literature has been able to demonstrate an association between dietary habits and spice and herb consumption, especially for those who have chronic kidney disease. The objectives of this study were to 1) determine the frequency and quantity of spices and herbs consumed and 2) determine the associations between diet quality and its food components, demographics, and health conditions with spice and herb frequency and variety consumption of adults with chronic kidney disease. A cross-sectional online study was conducted with adults with various stages of chronic kidney disease (n = 71). Participants responded to an online demographic, diet and spice and herb questionnaire on RedCap. Diet quality was determined through the diet questionnaire. Descriptives, frequencies and Spearman correlations were conducted using SPSS v28 with a significance of p<0.05. Most participants were in chronic kidney disease stage 3 (42.3%) with a majority (98.6%) self-identifying as non-Hispanic white. On average, participants consumed black pepper more than once daily (47.9%) with the spice quantity at 5 g. The median diet quality score was 38.5 (range 31.5-48.5). Positive associations were identified with overall diet quality scores and certain spices such as basil (r = 0.33; p<0.01) and cinnamon (r = 0.37; p<0.002). Further associations were seen with food groups, self-identifying as white and health conditions with spice frequency and variety of spices and herbs consumed. Overall, positive associations were observed with diet quality and spice and herb intake, in which higher diet quality scores would indicate higher consumption of spices and herbs. Further research should focus on diet quality and spice and herb consumption in reducing progression of this disease.

A Scoping Review of the Clinical Evidence for the Health Benefits of Culinary Doses of Herbs and Spices for the Prevention and Treatment of Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a growing global health problem. Evidence suggests that diets rich in phytochemical-containing herbs and spices can contribute to reducing the risk of chronic diseases. This review assesses the scope of evidence supporting the use of herbs and spices in the diet for the prevention or treatment of MetS and its associated health conditions. A search of the PubMed, Scopus and Google Scholar databases was carried out to assess the available clinical evidence for culinary doses of commonly used herbs and spices. Trials that were measuring health factors related to metabolic disorders in healthy individuals, or the health of individuals with MetS or associated diseases, were included. Out of a total of 1738 papers identified, there were 142 relevant studies on black pepper, chilli, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, fennel, fenugreek, garlic, ginger, nigella seed, rosemary, sage and turmeric. No relevant research was found for cloves, mint, oregano, parsley or thyme. Cinnamon, fenugreek and ginger were the herbs/spices with the most published trials on them and that showed promise for glycaemic control. Cardamom appears to have potential to reduce inflammatory markers, and cinnamon, ginger and turmeric to reduce blood lipids. Patients with type 2 diabetes were the population most likely to be included in studies, but the preventative benefits of herbs/spices in healthy populations were also investigated, particularly for chilli, ginger and cinnamon. There is evidence for the beneficial effect of culinary doses of many common herbs/spices in the prevention and treatment of MetS and associated disorders.

Seaweed extract and arbuscular mycorrhiza co-application affect the growth responses and essential oil composition of Foeniculum vulgare L

The influence of arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF) inoculation, seaweed extract (SWE) foliar use, and their co-applications were evaluated on the growth-associated traits, antioxidant potential, essential oil profile, and the nutrients content of fennel plants. A factorial experiment was conducted as a completely randomized design with two factors and four replications in the greenhouse. The factors were: AMF inoculation (not inoculated and inoculated with 5 g kg^-1) and SWE foliar application (0, 0.5, 1.5, or 3 g L^-1). The highest root colonization percentage was recorded in plants treated with AMF + 3 g L^-1 of SWE. The top recorded plant height, leaf number, leaf dry weight, biomass, thousand seed weight (TSW), total soluble proteins and total soluble carbohydrates content, antioxidant activity, and essential oil content belonged to AMF + 3 g L^-1 of SWE. Furthermore, the co-application of AMF + SWE resulted in a considerable enhancement of the photosynthetic pigments content and, in N, P, K, Fe, Zn, and Mn contents in the shoots and roots. The GC-FID and GC-MS analysis revealed that (E)-anethole (73.28-76.18%), fenchone (5.94-8.26%), limonene (4.64-6.58%), methyl chavicol (2.91-3.18%), and (Z)-β-ocimene (1.36-2.01%) were the principal essential oil constituents. The top (E)-anethole and fenchone contents were obtained by AMF + SWE. Altogether, the simultaneous application of AMF and SWE could be introduced as an environment-friendly strategy to reach reliable growth responses, especially in fennel plants' enriched with some precious essential oil constituents.

Antioxidant and antidiabetic compounds identification in several Indonesian underutilized Zingiberaceae spices using SPME-GC/MS-based volatilomics and in silico methods

•

Volatile compounds linked with antidiabetic and antioxidant activity of 12 Zingiberaceae spices were identified using SPME-GC/MS and multivariate data analysis.

•

Eucalyptol strongly correlated with α-glucosidase inhibitor and DPPH antioxidant activity.

•

o-Cymene and terpinen-4-ol strongly correlated with FRAP and CUPRAC antioxidant activity.

•

In silico study supported the results of the in-vitro experiment.

This study aimed to identify compounds in 12 minor Zingiberaceae spices grown in Indonesia linked with in vitro α-glucosidase inhibitor and antioxidant (DPPH, FRAP, CUPRAC) activities using SPME-GC/MS volatilomics. The results illustrated that Zingiber aromaticum Val., Alpinia malaccensis (Burm.f.) Roscoe, Amomum compactum Sol. ex Maton, and Zingiber purpureum Roscoe had the highest α-glucosidase inhibitor and DPPH, FRAP, CUPRAC antioxidant activities, respectively. Also, the total phenolic content positively influenced DPPH, FRAP, and CUPRAC antioxidant activities. The strongest positive correlation with α-glucosidase inhibitor and DPPH antioxidant activities was found in eucalyptol; whereas o-cymene and terpinen-4-ol had the strongest correlations with FRAP and CUPRAC antioxidants, respectively. Furthermore, the molecular docking analysis revealed that all compounds with a strong correlation with α-glucosidase inhibitor activity (based on their OPLS VIP score) had binding energies (−5.06 – −6.26 kcal/mol) close to Acarbose (−10.11 kcal/mol). Thus, this study provided vital information on the volatile compounds in underutilized spices associated with their health beneficial properties.

Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry-Based Classification of 12 Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Miller) Varieties Based on Their Aroma Profiles and Estragole Levels as Analyzed Using Chemometric Tools

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Miller) is a popular aromatic plant native to the Mediterranean basin and cultivated worldwide that is valued for the nutritional and health benefits of its fruits. Headspace solid-phase microextraction of 12 fennel accessions of cultivated (F. vulgare subsp. vulgare) and wild forms (F. vulgare subsp. piperitum) of different origins was carried out for assessing their volatile distribution. Fifty-four volatiles were identified, with ethers amounting for the major class at ca. 52-99% attributed to the abundance of (E)-anethole and estragole. Several subsp. vulgare accessions proved to be excellent sources of the chief aroma (E)-anethole (95.9-98.4%), whereas high levels of estragole at ca. 72% were observed in subsp. piperitum from Minia and Khartoum and must be considered in the safety assessment of fennel. Other volatile classes were detected including ketones, esters, aldehydes, alcohols, and hydrocarbons (monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and diterpenes). Fenchone exceeded 15% of the total volatiles in some fennel specimens, linked to a conspicuous bitter aftertaste. The members of subsp. piperitum were more enriched in monoterpene hydrocarbons with sabinene found exclusively in these, while subsp. vulgare comprised a higher content of ethers. Principle component analysis determined isoterpinolene as a special component in subsp. piperitum. In all specimens from the same group, estragole was the most distinguished volatile compound according to the findings from orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis. The highest estimated estragole levels were detected in subsp. piperitum from Minia at 89.8 mg/g. This comparative study provides the first comprehensive insight into volatile profiling of 12 fennel fruit varieties.

Sensory Analysis in Assessing the Possibility of Using Ethanol Extracts of Spices to Develop New Meat Products

The food industry has endeavoured to move toward the direction of clean labelling. Therefore, replacing synthetic preservatives with natural plant extracts has gained significant importance. It is necessary to determine whether products enriched with such extracts are still accepted by consumers. In this study, consumer tests (n = 246) and sensory profiling were used to assess the impact of ethanol extracts of spices (lovage, marjoram, thyme, oregano, rosemary, and basil; concentration 0.05%) on the sensory quality of pork meatballs and hamburgers. The desirability of meat products with spice extracts to consumers depended on the added extract. The highest scores were for products with lovage extract, whose sensory profile was the most similar to the control sample without the addition of an extract (with higher intensity of broth taste compared with the others). Products with rosemary and thyme extracts were characterised by lower desirability than the control. This was related to the high intensity of spicy and essential oil tastes, as well as the bitter taste in the case of products with thyme. The studied extracts of spices allow for the creation of meat products (meatballs and hamburgers) with high consumer desirability, however, the high intensity of essential oil and spicy tastes might be a limitation.

Parents' Perceptions about Salt Consumption in Urban Areas of Peru: Formative Research for a Social Marketing Strategy

Background: Salt intakes in Latin America currently double the World Health Organization’s recommendation of 5 g/day. Various strategies to reduce the population’s salt consumption, such as raising awareness using social marketing, have been recommended. This study identified parents’ perceptions of salt consumption to inform a social marketing strategy focused on urban areas in Peru. Methods: Using a sequential exploratory methods design, parents of pre-school children, of high and low socioeconomic status, provided qualitative data in the form of interviews and focus groups. Following this, quantitative data was obtained via questionnaires, which were sent to all parents. The information was analyzed jointly. Results: 296 people (mean age 35.4, 82% women) participated, 64 in the qualitative and 232 in the quantitative phase of the study. Qualitative data from the first phase revealed that the majority of mothers were in charge of cooking, and female participants expressed that cooking was “their duty” as housewives. The qualitative phase also revealed that despite the majority of the participants considered their salt intake as adequate, half of them mentioned that they have tried to reduce salt consumption, and the change in the flavor of the food was stated as the most difficult challenge to continue with such practice. Quantitative data showed that 67% of participants would be willing to reduce their salt intake, and 79.7% recognized that high salt intake causes hypertension. In total, 84% of participants reaffirmed that mothers were in charge of cooking. There were no salient differences in terms of responses provided by participants from high versus low socioeconomic groups. Conclusions: The results point towards the identification of women as a potential target-audience of a social marketing strategy to promote reductions in salt intake in their families and, therefore, a gender-responsive social marketing intervention is recommended.

The Impact of Herbs and Spices on Increasing the Appreciation and Intake of Low-Salt Legume-Based Meals

Flavoring using blends of herbs and spices (H&S) instead of salt may be a promising approach to increase legume consumption and reduce salt content in foods. This study examines the effects of H&S on the appreciation and intake of low-salt legume-based dishes in a real ecological eating environment. Four mezzes with standard (0.8% w/w) (S) or lower (0.4% w/w) (LS) salt level and with or without H&S (LSHS, SHS) were developed. In a randomized cross-over trial, 94 participants attended four sessions, one week apart and received the four variants as a starter during lunch. Overall liking, food intake, and appetite ratings (visual analogue scale, VAS) were assessed during lunch. A follow-up study (n = 130) was performed where the four variants were evaluated, and overall liking was measured at the same session. Overall liking and taste scores of SHS were significantly higher compared with LS (p = 0.04 and p = 0.03, respectively), but there were no significant differences between LSHS and S. However, there were no differences in energy intake or in appetite ratings among the products. Overall appreciation was similar between the low-salt with H&S and the standard-salt mezze, suggesting that the addition of H&S is a feasible strategy for achieving a 50% reduction in salt content without compromising hedonic appreciation.