Writing from personal experience, physician and author Danielle Ofri asks what evidence is needed to justify trying to humanize medical training via the power of literature.

The aim of this study is to examine the influences of spices on the amounts and compositions of volatile compounds released from cooked beef patty. Beef patty with 0.5% of spice (nutmeg, onion, garlic, or ginger powder, w/w) was cooked by electronic pan until they reached an internal temperature of 75℃. A total of 46 volatile compounds (6 alcohols, 6 aldehydes, 5 hydrocarbons, 6 ketones, 9 sulf...

To investigate the potential health effects of several traditional medicinal plants and spices commonly used for daily consumption, we selected eight traditional medicinal plants and 32 spices for bioactivity screening in several anti-obesity related bioassays: adenosine A1 receptor binding, cannabinoid CB1 receptor binding, inhibition of TNF-α and induction of 3T3-L1 adipocytes lipolysis. Beni...

Animal studies were conducted to evaluate the influence of dietary spice compounds, piperine, capsaicin and ginger, on the absorption of orally administered β-carotene and its conversion to vitamin A. In rats maintained on these spice-containing diets for 8 weeks, concentrations of β-carotene and retinol were determined in the serum, liver and intestine 4 h after a single oral administration of...

Aromatic plants are plants that possess aromatic compounds, most of which are essential oils which are volatile in room temperature. They have traditionally been used as raw materials for extraction of essential oils (which, in turn, are used in the flavor and fragrance industries), as well as the sources of spices, herbs, and other natural products such as traditional medicines, pharmaceutical...

The present study examined the favourable influence of three spice mixes derived from a few commonly consumed spices of known digestive stimulant action on digestive enzymes of pancreas and small intestine, and on bile secretion and composition in experimental rats. The common ingredients of these mixes were coriander, turmeric, red chilli, black pepper and cumin, while the spice mix II additio...

The objective of this study was to investigate prebiotic potential, chemical composition, and antioxidant capacity of spice extracts. Seven culinary spices including black pepper, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, ginger, Mediterranean oregano, rosemary, and turmeric were extracted with boiling water. Major chemical constituents were characterized by RP-HPLC-DAD method and antioxidant capacity was dete...