Publication:

Effect of Indian spices on fibrinolytic activity on man

Background Spices were one of the valuable items of trade in the ancient India. Herbalist and folk practitioners have used plant remedies for food, beverages, drugs and medicines centuries, but scientific research in needed to explore basic mechanism behind these wonderful natural ingredients. Spices having antioxidant potential and they are also potent inhibitors of tissue injury. spices does not provide extra calorie ,easily available and cheap, some of them like mace, greater cardamom and cinnamon reliable sources of antioxidants and other potential bioactive compounds in diet. This study thus help in establish role of some spices used in the kitchen for its aroma, flavour and taste which are potential to maintain a healthy heart.

Methods This was a cross sectional, observational, descriptive-analytic study and was conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital of Rajasthan, India. The duration of study was 12 months, sample size was 30. Thirty patients without being any medical or systemic disease. Patients of age less than eighteen years were excluded from the study. All those who denied participation in the study. Approval from Institutional Ethics Committee was taken before starting the study. The study was explained to them in brief in a language they can understand. Consent of participants was taken in written informed consent form. All data collected were analysed using appropriate statistical tests.

Results Patients were having decreased fibrinolytic activity when they were subjected to bread and butter, while mean fibrinolytic activity increased by 48.21%, 41 %, 67% when combined with mace, cinnamon, greater cardamom, respectively.

Conclusions In present study we can conclude that administration of fatty diet decrease fibrinolysis to a significant extent while, administration of mace, greater cardamom and cinnamon along with fatty meal leads to significant increase in fibnolysis is activity in healthy subjects. The effect on fibnolysis is more pronounced with greater cardamom than cinnamon and mace.