. 2020 Oct;19(5):30–42.

Table 2.

Common Spices Used With Potential Impact for Immune Support

Common Name	Binomial Name	Family (Botanical)	Herb, Spice; Part of Plant Used	Impact(s) on Immunity, Health Benefit(s)	Bioactive Compound(s)	Research to Support: (Author / year)
Cinnamon, Ceylon, Cassia, Saigon	Cinnamomum verum, cassia, loureiroi	Lauraceae	Spice; derived from bark of plant	Antibacterial Antimicrobial Antioxidant Anti-inflammatory Antidiabetic Antifungal Antiviral	Hydroxycoumarins cinnamaldehyde, cinnamate, cinnamic acid, Eugenol, limonene, terpineol, catechins, proanthocyanidins, tannins, linalool, safrole, pinene, methyleugenol, benzaldehyde	Marissal-Arvy et al, 2014⁷⁵ Hamidpour et al, 2015⁷⁶ Rao & Gan, 2014⁷⁷ Gunawardena et al, 2014⁷⁸ Moshaverinia et al, 2020⁷⁹ Lee et al, 2011⁸⁰
Ginger	Zingiber officinale Roscoe	Zingiberaceae	Spice; rhizome fresh and dried spice	Anti-inflammatory Antimicrobial Antibacterial Antioxidant Antitumor Antiplatelet formation Antiviral Immunomodulatory	Gingerol, paradol, shogaols, zingerone, hydoxyphenylpropenes, vallinoids, geraniol, geranial, borneol, linalool, camphene, zingerol, zingiberon	Koch et al, 2008⁸¹ Shukla & Singh, 2007⁸² Prasad & Tyagi, 2015⁸³ Chrubasik et al, 2005⁸⁴ Ramadan et al, 2011⁸⁵ Lantz et al, 2007⁸⁶
Cloves	Syzygium aromaticum	Myrtaceae	Spice; flower bud	Antibacterial Antimicrobial Antioxidant Anti-inflammatory Analgesic Antifungal Anticancer	Eugenol, dehydroeugenol sesquiterpenes, caryophyllene, tannins, isoeugenol acetyleugenol pinene, vanillin, gallic acid, flavonoids, phenolic acids	Cai & Wu, 1996⁸⁷ Aman et al, 2020⁸⁸ Cortés-Rojas et al, 2014⁸⁹ Aboubakr et al, 2016⁹⁰ Khalil et al, 2017⁹¹ Mittal et al, 2014⁹² Kamatou et al, 2012⁹³ Rodrigues et al, 2009⁹⁴ Lee et al, 2007⁹⁵ Pramod et al, 2010⁹⁶ Benencia & Courrèges, 2000⁹⁷ Batiha et al, 2020⁹⁸
Turmeric	Curcuma longa L.	Zingiberaceae	Spice; rhizome fresh and dried spice	Anti-inflammatory Antimicrobial Antibacterial, antioxidant Antitumor	Curcuminoids, demethoxycurcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin, tetrahydrocurcumin, eugenol, carotene, ascorbic acid, caffeic, p-coumaric, protocatechuic, syringic, vanillic acid	Chattopadhyay et al, 2004⁵⁶ Ramadan et al, 2011⁹⁹ Chearwae et al, 2006¹⁰⁰ Rajkumari & Sanatombi, 2017¹⁰¹ Chandrasekaran et al, 2013¹⁰² Abdel-Lateef et al, 2016¹⁰³ Liu & Nair, 2012¹⁰⁴ Khajehdehi, 2012¹⁰⁵ Mounce et al, 2017¹⁰⁶ Zorofchian Moghadamtousi et al, 2014¹⁰⁷
Cumin, black cumin, black seed	Cuminum cyminum L. Nigella sativa L.	Apiaceae	Spice; seeds	Antimicrobial Antioxidant Anticancer Antitumor Antifungal Antibacterial Anti-inflammatory	Coumarins, cumin aldehyde, cuminal, β-pinene, γ-terpinene, safranal, quercetin, p-coumaric, rosmarinic, trans-2-dihydrocinnamic acids flavanoids	Randhawa & Alghamdi, 2011¹³³ Hassanien et al, 2015¹³⁴ Singh et al, 2014¹³⁵ Bourgou et al, 2010¹³⁶
Chili pepper, paprika	Capsicum annuum, Capsicum frutescens	Solanaceae	Spice; seed and fruit	Antimicrobial Chemo-preventative Analgesic Antioxidant Anticancer Antifungal Antiviral	Capsaicin, tocopherol, lutein, carotene, capsanthin, quercetin, ascorbic acid, rutin	Sun et al, 2007¹³⁷ Khan et al, 2014¹³⁸ Bourne et al, 1999¹³⁹ Spiller et al, 2008¹⁴⁰ Beltran et al, 2007¹⁴¹ Takano et al, 2007¹⁴² Parvez, 2007¹⁴³
Black pepper	Piper nigrum L	Piperaceae	Spice; Dried fruit berries	Antioxidant Anti-inflammatory Anticancer Antimicrobial Antibacterial Antipyretic Analgesic Enhanced bioavailability of other nutrients	β-pinene, piperine, oleoresins, piperolein, β-caryophyllene, limonene, lignans, alkaloids, flavonoids, myristic acid, myristicin, citral, palmitic acid, piperine, terpinen-4-ol and ubiquinone, lauric acid	Meghwal & Goswami, 2012¹⁴⁴ Meghwal & Goswami, 2013¹⁴⁵ Ahmad et al, 2012¹⁴⁶ Kapoor et al, 2009¹⁴⁷ Srinivasan, 2007¹⁴⁸
Garlic	Allium sativum	Amaryllida-ceae	Fresh and Dried; fruit, bulb	Antibacterial Antifungal Antiviral Antimicrobial Antitumor Antihypertensive Cardioprotective Antidiabetic Anticancer Anti-Obesity Immunomodulatory	D-Linalool, Methyl chavicol, eugenol cineole, Allyl sulfides, allicin, ajoene, S-allyl-L-cysteine (SAC)	Borek, 2001¹⁴⁹ Butt et al, 2009¹⁵⁰ Bayan et al, 2013¹⁵¹ Ryu & Kang, 2017¹⁵² Sultana et al, 2016¹⁵³ Bjarnsholt et al, 2005¹⁵⁴
Onion	Allium cepa	Amaryllida-ceae	Fresh and Dried; fruit, bulb	Antibacterial Antifungal Antiviral Antimicrobial	Quercetin, kaempferol, myricetin, and catechin, apigenin, dipyridyl disulfide, rutin, quercetin-4-glucoside	Santas et al, 2010¹⁵⁵ Shim et al, 2011¹⁵⁶
Various teas	Camellia sinensis	Theaceae	Fresh and Dried; leaves, stems, shoots, flowers	Antioxidative (Various) Reduced cholesterol Anti-inflammatory Antiviral Antibacterial Antifungal	Quercetin, kaempferol, catechin, gallocatechin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin gallate theaflavins, myricetin	Dreosti, 1996¹⁵⁷ Xu et al, 2017¹⁵⁸ Furushima et al, 2018¹⁵⁹ Joubert & Ferreira, 1996¹⁶⁰ Ravikumar, 2014¹⁶¹ Senanayake, 2013¹⁶² Ide et al, 2016¹⁶³ Khan & Mukhtar, 2018¹⁶⁴