The Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) is largely a plant-based dietary pattern which is associated with a reduced risk of numerous chronic diseases(1,2). A traditional MedDiet contains a wide variety of wild herbs and spices, which are frequently used in cooking and food preparation(3,4), and are a valuable source of antioxidants. However, little is known about herbs and spices use in Australian households. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the types of herbs and spices used in cooking and food preparation in Australian households. A cross-sectional study was undertaken amongst Australian adults aged ≥18 years. Participants were recruited via social media platforms requesting voluntary participation in an online survey. The survey tool included questions related to the types of herbs and spices used and consumed in Australian households, frequency of use, and the perceived level of confidence for use of herbs and spices in cooking and food preparation. Given the lack of a previously validated and reliable survey instrument, the authors developed a prototype questionnaire that was initially piloted against a separate representative sample for face validity. A total of n = 400 participants responded and completed the survey. Participants were mostly female (n = 340; 85.0%) with a mean age of 46.5 ± 14.7 years and were overweight (BMI: 26.4 ± 6.0 kg/m2). In the previous 12 months, two-thirds of participants (n = 258; 64.8%) reported consuming herbs and spices 1-2 times per day, which were most commonly consumed as part of lunch or dinner meals (n = 372; 94.2%). Basil (n = 391; 97.8%), pepper (n = 390; 97.5%), and garlic (n = 387; 96.8%) were the most frequently used and consumed herbs and spices. A quarter of participants reported using basil 1-3 times per month (n = 104; 26%), while a quarter reported using pepper (n = 104; 26%) and garlic (n = 103; 25.8%) daily. The majority of participants identified that they were extremely confident (n = 159; 39.8%) or very confident (n = 149; 37.3%) using herbs and spices in cooking and food preparation. Most participants (n = 282; 70.5%) reported growing herbs and spices in their own homes. This cross-sectional analysis of Australian households shows that most Australian adults consume herbs and spices daily, with basil, pepper, and garlic being the most frequently consumed. Further investigation into the quantities needed to elicit potential health benefits of herbs and spices when incorporated into a healthy dietary pattern warrants future research.

This study was designed to evaluate changes in plant biomass, species richness, and diversity after application of glyphosate herbicide in several successional stages of sub-boreal spruce forest near Prince George, British Columbia, Canada. Vegetation was sampled in replicate control (reference) and treatment blocks of “herb,” “shrub,” and “shrub-tree” stages of cutover forest habitats. Volume of herb layers declined temporarily in the first post-treatment year. Shrub layers were reduced in herb and shrub stages, and shrubs and trees were reduced temporarily in the shrub-tree stage. Species richness of herbs and shrubs was similar in control and treatment blocks in the herb successional stage, but shrub richness declined on the treatment in the shrub stage. There were no consistent differences in numbers of herb, shrub, or tree species between control and treatment blocks in the shrub-tree stage. Species diversity (Simpson's index and Shannon-Wiener function) of herbaceous plants was not affected by herbicide application in any of the successional stages, but diversity of shrubs was lower in treatment than control blocks in the herb and shrub stages. Diversity of trees was reduced on treatment blocks in the shrub-tree stage. Species abundance curves of overall plant communities showed little change in the herb stage, a decline in the first post-treatment year in the shrub and shrub-tree stages, with similar patterns between control and treatment blocks in subsequent post-treatment years. The general lack of community-wide reductions in plant biomass and diversity, and the short-term duration of specific changes, suggest that conifer release treatments of plantations have no substantial, incremental effects on wildlife habitat.

Due to exposure of animals to numerous stress-inducing factors and a high level of cellular metabolism resulting from the conditions and manner in which they are raised, destabilisation of the redox balance towards excessive activity of free radical species is a common phenomenon. Enhancing the antioxidant status of the animal organism by optimising the level and quality of feeding, and especially by supplementation with exogenous antioxidants, may be one essential and highly effective means of improving the health and thus the productivity of animals. Natural plant supplements in diets for poultry can be used to enhance antioxidant defence mechanisms and reduce the intensity of oxidation processes, which negatively affect the quality of poultry products, i.e. meat and eggs. Analysis of the available studies shows that antioxidant processes in the organism of birds can be stimulated via administration of extracted active compounds, among which the highest antioxidant activity is found in resveratrol, hesperidin, genistein, thymol and carvacrol, and herbs, for example from garlic, aloe vera, oregano and rosemary.

The aim of this review is to discuss aspects of poultry meat quality which are influenced by supplementing the bird's diets with plant extracts. Nutritional approaches are often more effective than direct addition of the additive to meat since the compound is preferably deposited where it is most needed. Physical qualities of broiler meat, including pH and colour, is of major importance, since broiler chicken meat is nowadays usually consumed as cut up pieces or processed products. Sensory and proximate meat quality should be taken into consideration because this allows manufacturers to identify, understand and respond to consumer preferences more effectively. Lipids including cholesterol are an important component of meat and contribute to several desirable sensory characteristics of meat and meat products. Amongst meat products, poultry meat is considered to be more prone to the development of oxidative rancidity compared to red meat. This is explained by the higher content of phospholipids in poultry meat. The available literature is limited regarding changes in meat quality due to the effect of medicinal plants, especially in poultry, however this review will summarise the results of the investigations that have been published to date.

Spices, herbs and medicinal plants as a feed supplements present promising alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters due to their high content of bioactive substances. A large number of experiments have confirmed a wide range of activities of spices in poultry nutrition such as stimulation of feed intake, antimicrobial, antioxidative and coccidiostat stimulation, increase of body weight gain, lowering the mortality rate and improvement of the blood and tissue lipid profile. The present paper gives a review on the characteristics of hot red pepper and its mode of action in broilers nutrition.

Seed longevity of plant species is an important topic in restoration management, and little is known about the effects of environmental conditions on seed survival and longevity under natural conditions. Therefore, the effect of groundwater level on the survival of seeds in the soil seed bank of a natural grassland community was investigated. Large soil cores, mesocosms, were sampled from a grassland site and transferred to two basins under a glass roof. The mesocosms were subjected to different groundwater-level treatments (high and low, respectively 5 and 30 cm below the soil surface) for nearly three years. After that period the soil seed bank of the mesocosms was sampled. In total 15 789 seeds of 38 taxa emerged from the experiment. Significant differences between the number of viable seeds that emerged in the two treatments were found for several species. More seeds of Glyceria fluitans, Cardamine pratensis and Myosotis palustris germinated in the high water-level treatment, whereas fewer seeds of Juncus spp., Cerastium fontanum and Stellaria media were found in this treatment than in the low water-level treatment. The experiment showed that the anoxic conditions prevailing in the high water-level treatment were beneficial to the survival of seeds of species of wet grassland communities. Species of dry grasslands, although represented by only two species, survived better under aerobic conditions.

We measured macronutrient concentrations in soils and leaves of trees, shrubs and herbs at 1900, 2400 and 3000 m in an Ecuadorian tropical montane forest. Foliar N, P, S and K concentrations in trees were highest at 1900 m (21.7, 2.2, 1.9 and 10.0 mg g−1). At 2400 and 3000 m, foliar concentrations of N, P, S and K were similar to nutrient concentrations in tropical trees with apparent nutrient deficiency, as presented in literature. Unlike foliar nutrient concentrations, the amounts of plant-available nutrients in mineral soil were not affected by altitude or increased significantly with increasing altitude. High C:N ratios (25:1 at 2400 m and 34:1 at 3000 m) and C:P ratios (605:1 at 2400 m and 620:1 at 3000 m) in the soil organic layer suggested slow mineralization of plant litter and thus, a low availability of N and P at high altitudes. Foliar N:P ratios were significantly higher at 2400 m (11.3:1) than at 3000 m (8.3:1), indicating that at high altitudes, N supply was more critical than P supply. In conclusion, the access of plants to several nutrients, most likely N, P, S and K, decreased markedly with increasing altitude in this tropical montane forest.

Although it is well known that riparian zones can contribute strongly to between-habitat beta diversity, for most taxa it is not clear how far this ‘zone’ extends, and whether it corresponds to easily recognizable topographic features. Forty 200-m2 plots were installed in a terra firme tropical forest to detect compositional variation in terrestrial herbs from the margins of small streams to the uplands. Plots were ordinated by their dissimilarity in species composition with non-metric multidimensional scaling. The riparian zone around streams was distinct in understorey herb composition from upland areas for about 100 m from the streams, or about 70 m asl in elevation, the exact distance depending on the size of the stream valley. However, the only assemblage that was almost completely distinct occurred as a narrow band a few metres wide along the streams. The rest of the riparian zone appears to represent an ecotone with continuous change, most of which occurs out to a distance of about half the width of the riparian zone as we defined it. Although riparian zones are legally protected in Brazil, they are frequently degraded. The complex factors leading to zonation around streams need to be understood to effectively manage these areas.

Experimental evidence suggests that most herbs and spices possess a wide range of biological and pharmacological activities that may protect tissues against O2-induced damage. The objectives of the present study were: first, to determine the effects of plant extracts on the viability, membrane integrity, antioxidant status and DNA integrity of Caco-2 cells and second, to investigate the cytoprotective and genoprotective effects of these plant extracts against oxidative stress in Caco-2 cells. The plant extracts examined were rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.), oregano (Origanum vulgare L.), sage (Salvia officinalis L.) and echinacea (Echinacea purpurea L.). Cell membrane integrity was assessed by the lactate dehydrogenase release assay. Viability was determined by the neutral red uptake assay (NRUA) and the concentration of compound that resulted in 50 % cell death (IC50) was calculated. Antioxidant status of the cells was assessed by measuring GSH content, catalase activity and superoxide dismutase activity. To examine their cytoprotective and genoprotective effects, Caco-2 cells were pre-treated with each plant extract for 24 h followed by exposure to H2O2. DNA damage was assessed by the comet assay and cell injury was determined by the NRUA. Rosemary was the most toxic (IC50 123 μg/ml) and echinacea the least toxic (IC50 1421 μg/ml). Sage was the only plant extract to affect the antioxidant status of the cells by increasing GSH content. Sage, oregano and rosemary protected against H2O2-induced DNA damage (olive tail moment and percentage tail DNA), whereas protection against H2O2-induced cytotoxicity was afforded by sage only.

A brief discussion of the history of the use of herbal medicines from prehistoric times to the mid-twentieth century precedes an explanation of why usage of such remedies in the United States declined in the 1940s but returned to popularity in the 1980s. The provisions of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 are presented together with its perceived influence, both positive and negative, on the health of the American people. Possible futures of herbal medicines are considered. The negative viewpoint that they will ultimately be rejected is refuted, and the more optimistic prediction that herbs are ultimately destined to become a part of mainstream medicine is defended. Stumbling blocks to such acceptance are evaluated and methods of overcoming them suggested. The urgent need for the development of a sensible regulatory environment encouraging the approval of botanicals as drugs is emphasized. After predicting a bright future for rational phytomedicines, the author opines that many of them will eventually play significant roles in medicinal practice.

Potted specimens of 27 Swedish native herbs and grasses were exposed to three different ozone concentrations, CF (charcoal filtered air), NF (non-filtered air) and NF+ (1·5 × non-filtered air) in open-top chambers from 2 July to 5 August 1994. The species represented a wide range of different plant strategies according to the C-S-R model. The results show that the stress-tolerators, S, had a smaller mean relative growth rate, R¯, during the exposure period and also a smaller accumulation of biomass compared with other strategies. The species with the intermediate strategy, CSR, had a R¯ similar to that of the species with a large component of C, the competitor strategy, and/or R¯ the ruderal strategy, whereas the net accumulation of biomass was smaller in the CSR group. This difference between R¯ and net growth for the CSR species compared to the species of other strategies, can be explained by a slower growth for the CSR group during the establishment phase. In the present investigation the response to ozone was very small regardless of plant strategy, although there was a weak trend towards slower growth with higher ozone concentration, 18 out of 27 species having a greater growth in CF than in NF+. The growth of one typical stress-tolerant species, Festuca ovina L., was stimulated significantly by ozone. Visible injury, most likely caused by ozone, was noticed in three species, Dactylis glomerata L., Dactylis aschersoniana Graebn. and Phleum alpinum L. Although there were no major restrictions to plant growth in terms of water, nutrients or space in the present open-top chamber experiment, the variability in all climatic factors was as large as in the ambient air. This might harden the plants and make them less sensitive to ozone compared to plants grown in the laboratory under controlled and optimal conditions with low variability.