**8. Conclusion**

Spices, condiments and herbs, used fresh or as extracts have a very much reported ability to inhibit some microorganisms. However, analysis of scientific literature shows that researchers must take care when comparing results because experimental standardization has not been achieved yet.

The use of natural medicines has undeniably increased in western societies. The suspicion raised by conventional health care professionals is due to lack of legislation and control. The therapeutic results and the active molecules of these natural products have a variability caused by seasonal conditions, leading consequently to variable biological activity.

In several regions of the world traditional culinary habits and medicinal pratices use plants and herbs in daily routine. Modern conventional medicine is challenged today by the ever growing bacterial resistance to classic antibiotics. More research is necessary to ascertain the real therapeutic value of these products, but these natural resources must not be despised because their clinical and economic value may be greater than has been supposed up to this day.
