ABSTRACT
Herbs and spices are generally incorporated in foods in small amounts. They are aromatic plants and their parts; whole or grind, fresh or dried make important contribution towards the aroma and flavour due to the presence of volatile essential oil and fixed oil. Their component of antioxidant helps in retarding or preventing the development of rancidity in food or other flavor deterioration caused by oxidation. Antioxidant can extend shelf-life of foods as preservative. A comparative study was carried out on the physicochemical and antioxidant properties of culinary herbs and spices of Monodora myristica (Ehuru) and Xylopia aethiopica (Uda). The proximate analysis of these spices was carried out to determine the moisture content, ash, crude fiber, carbohydrate, and crude protein using standard methods. Blended samples of spices (Xylopia aethiopica and Monodora myristica) were purchased from New Benin market in Benin City, Edo State. The antioxidant properties of Uda and Ehuru were determined using approved techniques of the official AOAC methods. The total acid content was analyzed by titration with 0.1N NaoH to pH 8.3 and also the pH with pH meter. The percentages of the Reducing power, Nitric oxide were also analyzed. The Crude protein was determined using the Kjeldahl method. Qualitative phyto-chemical analyses of the herbs were also carried out. The antimicrobial activity of the crude spice extracts (ethanol and water) were individually tested against five micro-organisms; Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumonia, Streptococcus pyogenes and Escherichia coli. The Proximate composition of Uda showed high amount of carbohydrate (55.17%), protein (13.51%), moisture (10.89%), crude fiber (8.95%), fat (7.74%) and ash (3.77%). Ehuru showed a high amount of carbohydrate (46.13%), moisture (12.45%), crude fiber (13.26%) protein (10.16%), ash (9.98%) and fat (8.02%). The result of the qualitative phyto-chemical analysis revealed the presence of Saponin, Flavonoid, Steroids, Alkaloids, Tannin and Cardiac glycoside in the two spices except for Alkaloid which was not present in Uda. The physicochemical properties of the Uda and Ehuru from this study suggest that they could be classified as stable, edible and nutritionally healthy. This preliminary study indicates that the Uda and Ehuru possess some level of antioxidant activity.
