Spices and herbs have been an integral part of Indian cuisine since ancient
times. They are not only cherished for improving the flavor and taste of Indian food but
also confer their health benefits. Instant herbal remedies prepared from spices and
herbs found in the kitchens of Indian homes have been used to treat many ailments and
infections in a natural way. Most of the spices and herbs have high nutritional and antioxidant properties responsible for their medicinal effects. This is because of the
presence of phytochemicals in the plants. The emphasis of the current article is to
provide an overview of the therapeutic potentials elucidating the phytochemical
compositions of the key Indian plants. Many such plant products are used mainly as
spices in Indian cuisine. In this review, we aim to highlight the chemical constituents
and active factors of some of these spices and their pharmacological potential. We
believe that in-depth molecular characterization of these spices for all their chemical
constituents and their impact on cells, organs, and different organelles will provide a
wealth of information useful for human health. These findings may further be chiseled
in the form of personalized medicine.
Keywords: Indian Spices, nutritional values, personalized medicine, phytochemicals, therapeutic properties.
