Abstract
The history of global spice trade, major compounds in spices and their chemical structures, and medicinal properties of spices (chemopreventive and anticancerous, antioxidant, as remedy for bird flue, as a bioenhancer, insecticidal, and antimicrobial) are discussed in this chapter. Value addition and development of new products from spices are briefly described. Tabulated data on the following are included: world imports of different spices (2000-2004); main spice-exporting countries by commodity, value and percentage share (2004); and area and production of important spices in the world.