Preface

*"The doctor cures, nature heals"* 

 *-Hippocrates.*

Nowadays, most people want to be healthy and strong, but modern hectic lifestyles can lead to diseases and health problems. For many, synthetic drugs are the most common treatment for illnesses, but their side effects can sometimes be dangerous. Alternative methods of treatment can be much safer, and more and more people are looking for effective and time-proven natural remedies.

Medicinal plants have an incredible history of serving humanity on almost every continent of the world. They are one of the basic sources of nutrition in terms of their content, and their use in medicine has been known since the beginning of civilization. Industrialization and busy lifestyles produce free radicals, which can cause disease and other adverse health effects. Plants used in traditional medicine contain a large number of antioxidants, such as polyphenols, carotenoids, tocopherols, glutathione, ascorbic acid, and enzymes with antioxidant activity, which help the body fight against dangerous oxidative damage. There are around 4,000 medicinal species known in Europe, 500 of which are medicinal plants. Currently, there is a trend of using medicinal plants not only in traditional medicine but also in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries as well as in modern gastronomy to increase the sensory and biological value of food via plant polyphenols. The most widespread form of administration is in the form of tea.

In medicine, plants find unlimited use for treating numerous diseases, such as diseases of the digestive, respiratory, and urinary systems, skin problems, and more. They also have a positive effect on substance metabolism and are characterized by excellent detoxification, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, and several other therapeutic effects. Due to their antioxidant and antimicrobial effects, medicinal plants can also be used in preserving food and increasing food's biological value.

Spices are all the aromatic parts of plants used to flavor food. These parts can be fresh, dried, or otherwise prepared. Spices are included in the group of snacks that have a negligible caloric value but have stimulating effects either directly on the digestive system or indirectly on the nervous system. They serve to aromatize and enhance the taste and smell of food. Spices are valued not only because they add taste and aroma to food but also because they have antioxidant effects. They are antioxidant substances that extend the shelf life of food by protecting it from oxidation, which causes undesirable sensory changes in food. In recent years, several beneficial physiological effects of spices on the human body have been experimentally documented. These are mainly beneficial antioxidant and hypolipidemic effects on the human body.

This book gives an overview of medicinal plants and spices used in different parts of the world in folk medicine, pharmacy, food industry, gastronomy, and agriculture. It provides interesting information on the nutritional, therapeutic, antioxidant, and antimicrobial effects of medicinal herbs and spices, discusses their bioaccessibility and bioavailability as well as their risks and benefits, and presents research on the use of spices as nutraceuticals and in ethnoveterinary practices.

This book is a useful resource for researchers, students, and readers interested in nature and who believe that plants can be used to improve health as well as agriculture, foods, medicines, cosmetics, and veterinary practice.

> **Eva Ivanišová** Institute of Food Sciences, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Nitra, Slovak Republic

> > Section 1

Spices

Section 1 Spices
