The dried and ground spices were kindly provided by AllinAll Ingredients Ltd., Dublin, Ireland. All Lamiaceae and Apiaceae samples, which were the main constituents of different combinations of herbs and spices used in this study, were cultivated in the northern Negev Desert, Israel (Latitude 30 30′ ON, Longitude 34 55′ OE, annual rainfall 12 inches). The herbs were transported to Ireland in premium condition, at 1–3 °C, within 3 days after harvesting. These samples were immediately steamed (120 °C) and air-dried, prior to grinding to <500 µm. Folin–Ciocalteu reagent, sodium acetate anhydrous, ferric chloride hexahydrate, 2,4,6-Tri(2-pyridyl)-s-triazine, 6-Hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylic acid, sodium carbonate, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), octyl gallate (OG), propyl gallate (PG), tert-butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ), and the pure phenolics, namely eugenol, acetyl-eugenol, caffeic acid, protocatechuic acid, rosmarinic acid, carnosol, carnosic acid, thymol, curcumin, capsaicin, p-coumaric acid, kaempferol, catechin, gallic acid, ferulic acid, and quercetin were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich, Wicklow, Ireland.
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