eChapters

English name : Fennel
Botanical name : Foeniculum vulgare Miller
Family : Apiaceae
Chromosome number : 2n = 22
Centre of origin : Southern Europe, Asia and Africa
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Miller), commonly known as Saunf or Badi Saunf, belongs to the Apiaceae family and is primarily cultivated for its seeds, from which fennel oil is extracted. The main component of fennel oil from cultivated F. vulgare is trans-anethole, which typically makes up 50-60% of the oil. Other constituents include d-2 fenchone, methyl chavicol, 2-pinene, camphene, d-2 phellandrene, dipentenes, B-pinene, terpinene, limonene, 1,8-cineole, a-terpinene, linalool, cis-anethole, anisic aldehyde, anisic ketone, and foenicullin. Recently, the presence of a toxic ketonic constituent has been reported. Indian fennel oil contains over 70% anethole and around 6% fenchone. Sweet or Roman fennel fruits are rich in anethole, phellandrene, and d-limonene, with a high concentration of anethole (up to 90%) and the absence of fenchone contributing to its sweet fragrance and flavour. Anisaldehyde and anisic acid have also been identified as present.

English name : Fennel
Botanical name : Foeniculum vulgare Miller
Family : Apiaceae
Chromosome number : 2n = 22
Centre of origin : Southern Europe, Asia and Africa
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Miller), commonly known as Saunf or Badi Saunf, belongs to the Apiaceae family and is primarily cultivated for its seeds, from which fennel oil is extracted. The main component of fennel oil from cultivated F. vulgare is trans-anethole, which typically makes up 50-60% of the oil. Other constituents include d-2 fenchone, methyl chavicol, 2-pinene, camphene, d-2 phellandrene, dipentenes, B-pinene, terpinene, limonene, 1,8-cineole, a-terpinene, linalool, cis-anethole, anisic aldehyde, anisic ketone, and foenicullin. Recently, the presence of a toxic ketonic constituent has been reported. Indian fennel oil contains over 70% anethole and around 6% fenchone. Sweet or Roman fennel fruits are rich in anethole, phellandrene, and d-limonene, with a high concentration of anethole (up to 90%) and the absence of fenchone contributing to its sweet fragrance and flavour. Anisaldehyde and anisic acid have also been identified as present.

English name : Coriander
Botanical name : Coriandrum sativum L.
Family : Apiaceae
Chromosome number : 2n = 22
Centre of origin : Mediterranean region Coriander of commerce is the dried fruit of Coriandrum sativum L., an aromatic spice crop belonging to the Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) family. Coriander is an ancient flavouring agent documented in ancient Egyptian, Hebrew, and Roman literature dating as far back as 5000 BC. Its leaves, stems, and fruits have been utilized for culinary and medicinal purposes. The composition of coriander seeds includes 6.3% moisture, 1.3% protein, 24.0% carbohydrates, 0.3% volatile oil, 0.44% phosphorus, 1.2% potassium, 0.8% calcium, 0.02% sodium, and 0.006% iron. Additionally, they contain vitamins such as A (175 IU/100 g), B1 (0.26 mg), B2 (0.23 mg), niacin (3.2 mg), and vitamin C (12.0 mg). In contrast, fresh coriander leaves comprise 87.9% moisture, 3.3% protein, 0.6% fat, 6.5% carbohydrates, 0.14% calcium, 0.06% phosphorus, and 0.01% iron.

English name : Curry leaf
Botanical name : Murraya koenigii (Linn.) Sprengel
Family : Rutaceae
Chromosome number : 2n = 18
Centre of origin : India
Curry leaves come from the aromatic, often deciduous herb or small tree Murraya koenigii (Linn) Sprengel, which belongs to the Rutaceae family. They are widely used in cooking to enhance the flavour of dishes, although their nutritional value is often ignored, as they are typically discarded after being used as a spice.
The fresh weight composition of curry leaves includes 66.3% moisture, 6.1% protein, 1.0% fat (ether extract), 16.0% carbohydrate, 6.4% fibre, 3.1% iron, 4.2% mineral matter, 810 mg of calcium, 600 mg of phosphorus, 12,600 IU of carotene (vitamin A), 2.3 mg of nicotinic acid, and 40 mg of vitamin C per 100 grams. While the leaves lack thiamine and riboflavin, they are a rich vitamin A and calcium source. However, their nutritional availability is reduced due to the high oxalic acid content (1.35%, with 1.15% being soluble oxalates).

English name : All Spice
Botanical name : Pimento dioica (L.) Merr.
Family : Myrtaceae
Chromosome number : 2n = 22
Centre of origin : West Indies
All spice of commerce is the dry unripe fruits of tree Pimenta dioica (L.) Merr. (Syn P. officinalis Lindi). Allspice, also known as pimento, derives its name from the early misconception of Spanish exporters who mistook the berries for pepper. This led to names such as Jamaica pepper in English and Nalkenpfeffer in German, though it is now officially referred to as “pimenta.” The term “allspice” reflects the belief that the spice combines cloves, nutmeg, black pepper, and cinnamon flavours and aromas. It is available in both whole and ground forms.
The composition of ground allspice berries includes 8.8% moisture, 6.0%protein, 6.6% fat (ether extract), 21.6% fibre, and 52.8% carbohydrates, with 4.2% total ash. Additionally, it contains 0.8% calcium, 0.1% phosphorus, 0.08% sodium, 1.1% potassium, 7.5 mg of iron per 100 g, and vitamins such as 39.2 mg of vitamin C, 0.1 mg of thiamine, 0.06 mg of riboflavin, 2.9 mg of niacin, and 1445 IU of vitamin A. The calorific value is approximately 380 calories per 100 g. Its distinctive aroma comes from the essential oil content (3.3–4.5%) concentrated in the pericarp. The berries also contain tannic acid (over 8%), contributing to their astringency, along with soft resin, fixed oil (5.8%), crude starch (20%), proteins (5.8%), and trace amounts of alkaloids.

English name : Cinnamon
Botanical name : Cinnamomum verum
Family : Lauraceae
Chromosome number : 2n = 24
Centre of origin : Sri Lanka
Cinnamon of the commerce is the dried inner bark of Cinnamomum verum Presl. (Syn. C. zeylanicum Bheme), It is also referred to as sweet wood, true cinnamon, or Ceylon cinnamon. It has been valued for centuries in the orient and is one of India’s oldest known tree spices. Cinnamon is renowned for its aromatic bark and leaves. The bark has a sweet, pleasant taste. It contains moisture (9.9%), protein (4.6%), fat (2.2%), fibre (20.3%), carbohydrates (59.5%), total ash (2.5%), calcium (1.6%), phosphorus (0.05%), iron (0.004%), sodium (0.01%), potassium (0.4%), and vitamins (B1 0.14 mg, B2 0.21 mg, C 39.8 mg, A 175 IU, niacin 1.9 mg), with a caloric value of 355/100g. The oil extracted from the bark is light yellow when freshly distilled, turning reddish upon storage, and is primarily composed of cinnamic aldehyde (60-75%) and eugenol (10%). The leaf oil has a slight camphor scent similar to clove oil, owing to the presence of 70-95% eugenol. Cinnamon is widely used as a spice or condiment in small pieces or as powder.

English name : Nutmeg
Botanical name : Myristica fragrans Hout.
Family : Myristicaceae
Chromosome number : 2n = 44
Centre of origin : Indonesia
Nutmeg of commerce is the dried kernel inside the brown and a thin brittle shell. A scarlet aril or mace surrounds the nutmeg. The Word Myristica is derived from the Greek term Myron, which means a sweet liquid distilled from the plant. The composition of dried nutmeg includes volatile oil (6-16%), starch (14-25%), furfural (1.15%), and pectin (0.5-0.6%), while mace contains volatile oil (4-15%) and amylodextrin (25%). Both the seeds and mace are rich in essential oils. The essential oil from nutmeg seeds consists of approximately 80% pinene and camphane, 4% myristicin (which has hallucinogenic properties), as well as p-cymene, d-linalool, terpineol, geraniol, safrole, eugenol, and isoeugenol. Mace oil shares similarities with nutmeg oil but is fresher in aroma. Mace is primarily used as a culinary spice and flavouring agent.

English name : Clove
Botanical name : Syzygium aromaticum Merr &Perry
Family : Myrtaceae
Chromosome number : 2n = 22
Centre of origin : Indonesia
Clove of commerce is the fully grown but unopened dried flower bud of tree Syzygium aromaticum Merrill and Perry, belonging to the family Myrtaceae. The English name “clove” is derived from the Spanish word clavo or the Latin clavus, both meaning “nail,” referring to the shape of the dried clove bud commonly found in the market. Clove is among the orient’s oldest and most valued spices, known as early as the 1st century BC. It is prized both as a spice and for its essential oil. The chemical composition of clove varies based on agroclimatic conditions and post-harvest processes.
The dried clove bud contains approximately 5.4% moisture, 6.3% protein, 13.2% volatile oil, 15.5% non-volatile ether extract (fat), 11.1% crude fibre, 57.7% carbohydrates, 5.0% mineral matter, and 0.24% ash insoluble in HCl. Additionally, it has 0.7% calcium, 0.11% phosphorus, 0.01% iron, 0.25% sodium, and 1.2% potassium. Its vitamin content includes 0.11 mg of B1, 0.04 mg of B2, 80.9 mg of vitamin C, 175 I.U. of vitamin A, and 1.5 mg of niacin per 100 g, providing a calorific value of 430 calories per 100 g. The volatile oil extracted from clove buds consists of eugenol (80-90%) and caryophyllene (4-8%).

English name : Turmeric
Botanical name : Curcuma longa L.
Family : Zingiberaceae
Chromosome number : 2n = 3x= 63
Centre of origin : South East Asia
Turmeric of commerce is the dried rhizomes of Curcuma longa. Cured turmeric contains 5.8% moisture, 8.6% protein, 8.9% fat, 63.0% carbohydrates, 6.9% fibre, 6.8% mineral matter, 0.2% calcium, 0.26% phosphorus, 0.05% iron, 0.01% sodium, 2.5% potassium, 175 IU of vitamin A per 100 g, 0.09 mg of vitamin B1, 0.19 mg of vitamin B2, 49.8 mg of vitamin C, and 4.8 mg of niacin. It provides a calorific value of 390 calories per 100 g. The primary colouring agent in turmeric is curcumin. It is a significant spice, particularly in rice-based cuisines. Curry powder typically contains about 24% turmeric combined with coriander, cumin, cardamom, fenugreek, chillies, ginger, pepper, and dill seeds.

English name : Ginger
Botanical name : Zingiber officinale Rosc.
Family : Zingiberaceae
Chromosome number : 2n = 22
Centre of origin : South East Asia
Ginger of commerce is the rhizome derived from Zingiber officinale. This plant is an herbaceous perennial but usually is cultivated annually. Belonging to the family Zingiberaceae, it is known as Adraka in Sanskrit and Adrak in Hindi. Ginger contains 6.5% oleoresin, commercially known as Gingirene, extracted from ground ginger using solvents. The composition of dry ginger includes 10.85% moisture, 1.8% volatile oil, 19.6% water extract, 6.0% cold alcohol extract, 53% starch, 7.7% crude fibre, 12.4% crude protein, 6.64% total ash, and 0.14% acid-insoluble ash. The volatile oil is a pale yellow liquid with a warm, spicy, sweet, aromatic fragrance and a pungent taste. Its primary constituent is zingiberene, a sesquiterpene, while its pungency is attributed to zingerone. Ginger is known to contain around 200 different volatile compounds.

English name : Black pepper
Botanical name : Piper nigrum L.
Family : Piperaceae
Chromosome number : 2n = 52
Centre of origin : Western Ghats, India
Black of the commerce is the dried mature fruit of the perennial climbing vine of Piper nigrum L. It is one of the oldest and most significant spices in the world. Black pepper refers to the whole dried fruit, which is still unripe, while white pepper is made from the fruit after the mesocarp has been removed. Among all spice crops, pepper holds the highest share in foreign exchange, earning it the title of the “King of Spices.” An analysis of various types of black pepper from Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Assam revealed the following ranges of values: moisture content (8.7-14.1%), total nitrogen (1.55-2.60%), nitrogen in non-volatile ether extract (2.70-4.22%), volatile ether extract (3.0-4.2%), non-volatile ether extract (3.9-11.5%), alcohol extract (4.4-12.0%), starch (28-49%), crude fibre (8.7- 18.0%), crude piperine (2.8-9%), piperine (spectrophotometrically) (1.7- 7.4%), total ash (3.9-5.7%), and acid-insoluble ash (0.03-0.55%). Starch is the principal constituent of pepper, making up 34.8% of black pepper, 56.5% of white pepper, and 63.2% of decorticated white pepper. Pepper starch consists of small, polygonal granules similar to rice but much smaller. The alkaloid piperine (melting point: 29-30°C) is the primary compound responsible for black pepper’s characteristic biting taste. Other pungent alkaloids present in smaller quantities include chavicine, piperidine, and piperetine. 

English name : Small cardamom, Lesser cardamom, Malabar cardamom
Botanical name : Elettaria cardamomum Maton
Family : Zingiberaceae
Chromosome number : 2n = 48
Centre of origin : Western Ghats of India
The cardamom of commerce is the dried capsule of Elettaria cardamomum Maton., commonly called the “queen of spices.” Crop is as one of the most significant and highly valued spices globally, it rank  after saffron and vanilla in terms of price and trade significance. The name Elettaria originates from the Tamil word elattari, where ela refers to cardamom fruit, and tari means granules or seeds of the fruit. Meanwhile, the term Cardamomum from the Greek word cardamon, which denotes cardamom. Cardamom is one of the oldest known spices, originated in India’s Southern Western Ghats around 5,000 years ago. It was among the first spices, along with cinnamon, to enter the western trade. Indian cardamom is distinctive in the global spice market due to its superior quality. The dried capsules produce essential oil and oleoresin, which contribute to its aroma and therapeutic properties. These qualities are attributed to the essential oil content (ranging from 3-8%) found in both the seed and husk. The primary components of this oil include 1,8-cineole, terpineol, and limonene.

India is known as the land of spices, while Kerala is often referred to as the spice bowl of the country. Out of the 109 spices acknowledged by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), India cultivates around 63 spices. The Spices Board of India actively encourages the cultivation and trade of 52 spices. This remarkable diversity in spice cultivation is made possible by India’s varied geographical conditions, encompassing all 15 agroclimatic zones, ranging from tropical and subtropical to temperate regions. These diverse conditions enable the cultivation of almost all kinds of spices.
Definition
Spices are defined as “spices are those plants, the plant products of which are made use as food adjuncts to add aroma and flavour”. Spices are also defined as per the Internal Organization for Standardization (ISO) as “Spices are Vegetable products, or mixtures thereof, free from extraneous matter, used for flavouring, seasoning and imparting aroma to foods”.
Condiments are defined as “condiments are also spices, products of which are used as food adjuncts to add taste only.” Mainly used for seasoning purpose. Herbs are defined as “dried leaves of aromatic plants used for flavouring food”. Both spices and condiments consist of essential oils which enhance the flavour and taste.

1. Blast
Diagnostic Symptoms
• Pathogen attacks the crop at all stages of crop growth.
• Symptoms appear on leaves, nodes, rachis, and glumes. On the leaves, the lesions appear as small bluish green flecks, which enlarge under moist weather to form the characteristic spindle shaped spots with grey centre and dark brown margin (Leaf blast).
• Spots coalesce as the disease progresses and large areas of the leaves dry up and wither. Severely infected nursery and field appear as burnt.• Black lesions appear on nodes girdling them. The affected nodes may break up and all the plant parts above the infected nodes may die (nodal blast).
• During flower emergence, the fungus attacks the peduncle and the lesion turns to brownish-black which is referred to as rotten neck / neck rot / panicle blast (neck blast).
• In early neck infection, grain filling does not occur while in late infection, partial grainfilling occurs (Fig.1).

1) Powdery mildew
Diagnostic Symptoms
• A white, powdery fungal growth on the upper, lower or both leaves and shoots.
• There may be discolouration of the affected parts of the leaf, and heavily infected young leaves can be curled and distorted.
• Mildew growth may also be found on the stems, flower stalks, calyces and petals.
• Heavily infected flower buds frequently fail to open properly.
• Mildew growth on stems and flower stalks is usually thicker and more mat-like than that on the leaves.
• Mildew growth on all parts may turn browner as it ages (Fig-1).

1) Botrytis Gray Mould
Diagnostic Symptoms
• Appearance of a gray, fuzzy mold leaves, stems and on flowers of or plants. Also called, “gray mold”.
• Spotting or blight on leaf and flower stem lesions, and dieback.
• Flower parts become necrotic and die(Fig-1).
Etiology
Domain : Eukaryota
Kingdom : Fungi
Division : Ascomycota
Class : Leotiomycetes
Order : Helotiales
Family : Sclerotiniaceae
 

1). Stem Gall
Diagnostic Symptoms
• Symptom appears in the form of tumor-like swellings of leaf veins, leaf stalks, peduncles, stems as well as fruits.
• Infected veins show a swollen hanging appearance to the leaves.
• Initially the tumors are glossy which rupture later on and become rough. They are about 3 mm broad and up to 12.5 mm long.
• Badly affected plants may be killed.
• In the presence of excessive soil moisture, especially under shaded conditions, when the stem fails to harden and remain succulent, the tumors are numerous (Fig-1).
Etiology
Scientific Classification
Kingdom : Fungi
Division : Ascomycota
Class : Taphrinomycetes
Order : Taphrinales

1. Vein-Clearing/Yellow Vein Mosaic
Bhendi yellow vein mosaic virus
Diagnostic Symptoms
• Yellowing of the entire network of veins in the leaf blade is the characteristic symptom.
• In severe infections, the younger leaves turn yellow, become reduced in size and the plant is highly stunted.
• The veins of the leaves will be cleared by the virus and intervenal area becomes completely yellow or white.
• In a field, most of the plants may be diseased and the infection may start at any stage of plant growth.
• Infection restricts flowering and fruits, if formed, may be smaller and harder.
• The affected plants produce fruits with yellow or white colour and they are not fit for marketing (Fig.1).
• The virus is spread by whitefly.

1) Leaf Spot
Diagnostic Symptoms
• Initially oblong brown spots having about 4-5 cm in length and 2-3 cm in width with grey centres surrounded with yellow hallo are found on the leaves.
• Large number of spots may be found on a single leaf and as the disease advances, spots enlarge and cover a major portion of leaf blade.
• Severly affected plants dry and wilt.
• Black dots acervuli formed in concentric rings on spot.The grey centres become thin and get teared(Fig-1).
Etiology
Scientific Classification
Kingdom : Fungi
Division : Eumycota
Sub- division : Deuteromycotina

1) Downy Mildew
Diagnostic Symptoms
• Yellow, angular spots restricted by veins resembling mosaic mottling appear on upper surface of leaves .
• Corresponding lower surface of these spots shows a purplish downy xgrowth in moist weather.
• Spots turn necrotic with age.
• Diseased leaves become yellow and fall down .
• Diseased plants get stunted and die .
• Fruits produced may not mature and have a poor taste (Fig.-1).
Etiology
Scientific Classification
Kingdom : Fungi
Division : Eumycota