Nutritional profile of minerals and antioxidants in Indian spice extracts was evaluated in order to examine their efficacy in treating various diseases, disorders, and allergies in human health. Extracts of four medicinal plants such as Curcuma longa, Zingiber officinale, Piper nigrum, and Piper longum, regularly consumed as spice products in South Asia, have been studied using elemental analysis, antioxidant, and antibacterial studies. While potassium (K) and calcium (Ca) were estimated to be the major elements, trace elements such as manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), selenium (Se), and lead (Pb) were determined in the plant extracts. Although higher concentration of Cu was estimated in Piper nigrum extracts, it can be inferred that Cu is not the only factor that is responsible for gastrointestinal disorders. Methanolic extract of the plants showed the highest inhibition zone for Curcuma longa against maximum bacterial strains while Zingiber officinale showed inhibition against S. aureus, K. pneumonia, and P. aeruginosa. Because of the highest concentration of antioxidants and inhibitory action against most of the bacterial strains, Curcuma longa can be used as a co-therapeutic agent in healing gastrointestinal infections.
Keywords: Antibacterial; Antioxidant; External PIXE; Medicinal plant; Trace elements.