Herbs and spices have been used for generations by humans as food and to treat ailments. Scientific evidence is accumulating that many of these herbs and spices do have medicinal properties that alleviate symptoms or prevent disease. A growing body of research has demonstrated that the commonly used herbs and spices such as garlic, black cumin, cloves, cinnamon, thyme, allspices, bay leaves, mustard, and rosemary, possess antimicrobial properties that, in some cases, can be used therapeutically. Other spices, such as saffron, a food colorant; turmeric, a yellow colored spice; tea, either green or black, and flaxseed do contain potent phytochemicals, including carotenoids, curcumins, catechins, lignan respectively, which provide significant protection against cancer. This review discusses recent data on the antimicrobial and chemopreventive activities of some herbs and spices and their ingredients.

Premna microphylla Turczaninow, an erect shrub, was widely used in Chinese traditional medicine to treat dysentery, appendicitis, and infections. In this study, the essential oil from P. microphylla Turcz. was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC (Gas Chromatography) and GC-MS (Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer). Fifty-six compounds were identified in the oil which comprised about 97.2% of the total composition of the oil. Major components of the oil were blumenol C (49.7%), β-cedrene (6.1%), limonene (3.8%), α-guaiene (3.3%), cryptone (3.1%), and α-cyperone (2.7%). Furthermore, we assessed the in vitro biological activities displayed by the oil obtained from the aerial parts of P. microphylla, namely the antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities. The antioxidant activity of the essential oil was evaluated by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity. For this, the IC50 value was estimated to be 0.451 mg/mL. The essential oil of P. microphylla exhibited considerable antibacterial capacity against Escherichia coli with an MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration) value of 0.15 mg/mL, along with noticeable antibacterial ability against Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus with an MIC value of 0.27 mg/mL. However, the essential oil did not show significant activity against fungus. The oil was tested for its cytotoxic activity towards HepG2 (liver hepatocellular cells) and MCF-7 Cells (human breast adenocarcinoma cell line) using the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide) assay, and exerted cytotoxic activity with an IC50 of 0.072 and 0.188 mg/mL for 72 h. In conclusion, the essential oil from P. microphylla is an inexpensive but favorable resource with strong antibacterial capacity as well as cytotoxic activity. Thus, it has the potential for utilization in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries.

Three new sesquiterpenoids, isodauc-7(14)-en-6a,10b-diol (1), 10b-hydroxyisodauc-6-en-14-al (2), and (7S*)-opposit-4(15)-en-1b,7-diol (4), along with ten known compounds have been isolated from the aerial parts of Senecio argunensis. Their structures were established by means of detailed spectroscopic analysis including IR, HR-MS, and 1D NMR and 2D NMR data. The sesquiterpenoids were assayed against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis. Compounds 4 exhibited weak antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis.

The essential oil of the aerial parts of Anthriscus caucalis M. Bieb was obtained by hydrodistillation and its components were analyzed by using GC and GC-MS. Forty-six compounds representing 97.2% of the total oil were identified. The main constituents in the oil were identified as β-Bisabolene (28.4%), Germacrene D (18.9%), (Z, E)-α-Farnesene (16.8%) and γ-Muurolene (7.3%). In vitro cytotoxicity evaluation against two cell lines of HepG2 (liver hepatocellular cells) and MCF-7 (human breast adenocarcinoma) cells showed a potent cytotoxic activity with the IC 50 values of 67.50 μg/mL and 55.83 μg/mL according to the MTT assay. Furthermore, the essential oil exhibited a considerable activity against Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli with the MIC values of 0.095 mg/mL and 0.105 mg/mL tested by micro-dilution method. The antioxidant activity was evaluated by DPPH and FRAP methods, and the essential oil gave an IC 50 value of 0.451 mg/mL and a Trolox equivalent antioxidant concentration of 191.7 ± 11.3 μmol Trolox × g -1 in DPPH and FRAP, respectively. The results indicated that the essential oil was relatively active and may be useful in food and pharmaceuticals after more detailed study.