Herbs, Spices and Their Roles in Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods

Herbs, Spices and Their Roles in Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods gives an overview of the many pharmacological activities associated with herbs and spices, including detailed coverage on their mechanisms and formulations for the food industry. Chapters focus on key ingredients such as Curcuma longa, Piper Nigrum and Trigonella foenum-graecum, with contributors across the globe providing the latest research and advances for each. This is an essential read for scientists who want to understand the fundamental mechanisms behind the bioactive compounds within herbs and spices.

The numerous phytochemicals present in plant extracts have multiple pharmacological activities so there is extensive research into new bioactive compounds. The pharmacological activities of herbs and spices have been thoroughly investigated, and it is crucial that the latest research is organized into a comprehensive resource.

• Presents chapters that are organized by specific herb or spice, providing comprehensive coverage of mechanism and innovative formulations
• Provides in-depth analysis of multiple pharmacological activities
• Includes detailed coverage surrounding the food industry

Dr. Augustine Amalraj is currently working as a Senior Scientist in the Department of Research and Development at Molecules Food Solutions Private Limited, Koratty, Thrissur, Kerala, India. He was worked as a Deputy Manager in the Department of Research and Development at Plant Lipids Private Limited and Aurea Biolabs Private Limited, Cochin, India. He obtained his Doctoral degree in Chemistry from Gandhigram Rural Institute – Deemed University, Gandhigram, Tamil Nadu, India. His research interests are in applied chemistry, food chemistry, natural product chemistry, environmental chemistry, chemosensors, and polymer and nanocomposite materials. He has published more than 60 research articles in international journals, as well as 22 book chapters, co-edited 10 books and filed 3 patents. He was listed among the top 2% of scientists in the world by Stanford University.

Dr. Sasikumar Kuttappan is currently working as Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) at Plant Lipids Private Limited, Cochin, India. He obtained his Doctoral degree in Chemistry from NIIST (RRL, CSIR), Trivandrum, Kerala, India. After post-doctoral studies at CNRS (France) and Columbia University (USA), he started his pharmaceutical industry career as a medicinal chemist at Merck-Schering-Plough in the United States. Upon returning to India, he worked with various CRO’s before taking up his current role as CSO at Plant Lipids. His research interests are in drug discovery, synthetic organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, natural product chemistry, combinatorial chemistry, photo & electrochemistry and chemistry automation. He has published more than 30 research articles in international journals, 22 patents and co-edited the 1 book.

Mr. Karthik Varma is currently working as a Deputy Manager in the Department of Research and Development at Plant Lipids Private Limited, Cochin, India. He is a postgraduate and research interest lies in the field of natural products, polymers and nanomaterials. He has got more than 10 years experience in the field of natural products formulation and nutraceutical product development. He has filed many international patents and is a US patent holder. He has published more than 30 publications, one book and 7 book chapters.

Dr. Avtar Singh Matharu is Senior Lecturer and Deputy Director of the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence (GCCE). The GCCE is an internationally-leading academic facility for the provision of excellence in green and sustainable chemical technologies, processes and products. He is External Examiner at Keele University for their Postgraduate Taught MSc in Environmental Science & Green Technologies and Section Editor for Current Opinion in Green and Sustainable Chemistry (Elsevier). Avtar specialises in gaining high additional chemical value from otherwise low-value resources or waste such as unavoidable food supply chain wastes, developing sustainable supply chains and circular economy within the context of biorefineries. He is technology platform leader for Renewable Materials working on range of biomass related materials and applications.