Investigation of Antimicrobial and Health Promoting Potential of African Indigenous Spices

Indigenous African spices are gaining recognition for their potential as natural antimicrobial and health promoting agents in modern food systems.This study investigated the antimicrobial efficacy and bioactive compound profiles of four spices i.e.Djansang (Ricinodendron heudelotii), Pebe (Scorodophloeus zenkeri), 4 cot (Tetrapleura tetraptera), and country onion (Afrostyrax lepidophyllus) cold and hot water extraction methods.Extracts were evaluated for growth inhibition activity against a range of microorganisms, including various yeast species, bacteria, and moulds.African spices were subjected to cold and hot water extraction methods and the cold-water extracts from Djansang demonstrated significantly higher inhibitory activity against yeasts such as Zygosaccharomyces spp.compared to hot water extracts.Djansang hot extracts exhibited minimal antimicrobial effects.Additionally, the spices were incorporated into processed tomato sauce and Achu soup formulations to assess their impact on product shelf life and nutritional quality.Microbial analyses indicated that tomato sauce treated with heat and potassium sorbate remained safe for consumption for 12 weeks, while Achu soup showed enhanced stability when subjected to additional heat treatment.Reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection (RP-HPLC-PAD) identified key bioactive compounds, including vanillic acid, quercetin, caftaric acid, catechin, and epicatechin gallate.These phenolic compounds confirm the potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of Djansang (Ricinodendron heudelotii), Pebe (Scorodophloeus zenkeri), 4 cot (Tetrapleura tetraptera), and Country onion (Afrostyrax lepidophyllus.Overall, these findings tent to support the application of indigenous African spices as natural antimicrobial agents and functional food ingredients, necessitating further research into optimizing extraction and cooking processes to maximize their therapeutic benefits.These findings lay groundwork for sustainable and healthier global food innovations.