Title:Bioactive Compounds in Some Culinary Aromatic Herbs and Their Effects on Human Health
VOLUME: 16 ISSUE: 11
Author(s):Raquel P.F. Guiné and Fernando J. Gonçalves
Affiliation:CI&DETS Research Centre and Department of Food Industry, ESAV, Quinta da Alagoa, Estrada de Nelas, Ranhados, 3500-606 Viseu, Portugal.
Keywords:Aromatic herbs, bioactive compounds, chemical constituents, culinary herbs, health effects, human health.
Abstract:Culinary herbs are herbaceous (leafy) plants that add flavour and colour to all types of
meals. There is a wide variety of herbs that are used for culinary purposes worldwide, which are also
recognized for their beneficial health effects, and thus have also been used in folk medicine. Besides
their nutritional value herbs are rich in many phytochemical components with bioactive effects, thus
improving human health. The aim of the present work was to make a general overview of some of
these herbs, including their gastronomic usage, their chemical composition in bioactive components
and their reported health effects. This work showed that the health effects are very diverse and differ according to the herb
in question. However, some of the most frequently citted biological activities include antioxidant, antimicrobial, and
antiviral effects.
