SPICES Biology, History, Production, Uses Janice Ott

“He who controls the spice, controls the universe.” from Dune by Frank Herbert

Sassafras

Sassafras albidum Food for birds, mammals

Beverage, tea Exported by colonists (second to tobacco) Learned from Iroquois tonic after labor topical for rhematism colds, fevers FilE used for thickening gumbo from dried, ground leaf Root beer Soaps, perfumes

1970s safrole liver damage Precursor to MDMA (ecstasy) Safrole is a weak carcinogen in rats Banned by FDA Roots dont’s have safrole Analgesic, antiseptic, fungicide

What “Aromatic natural products that are the dried seeds, buds, fruit, flower parts, bark, or roots of plants, usually of tropical origin.”

All spices are edible. Herbs are not spices, usually leaves. When dried, herbs can be a spice.

HERBIVORY Herbivory is Predation

Insects (adult and larvae), mammals, rodents, fungi

Leaf miner Sap sucker, gall makers Defoliators

Galls

Bark Beetles

Mammal Damage

deer

I. Plants Problem  Decrease fitness  Decrease vigor, biomass  Decrease competitive edge  Decrease reproduction

II. Plants Solution 1. thorns Prickly Rose

2. Secondary compounds  Primary compounds are proteins, sugars, starches needed for growth  When herbivory is high produce toxins

Secondary compounds Black pepper cinnamonnicotine

a. Secondary compounds discourage herbivores  1) tannins  2) phenols (aromatics)  3) terpenes (volatiles)

I.Alkaloids (affect nervous system) act as insecticides 1. Morphine 2. Cocaine (coca leaves) 3. Caffeine allelopathy chocolate, tea 4. Nicotine 5. Mescaline (Peyote) 6. Nutmeg 7. Morning Glory 8. Nightshades

II. Terpenoids all plants, volatile 1. Essential oils fragrance to deter pathogens deter herbivores humans use for aromatherapy humans use for topical medicine 2. Taxol treat ovarian and breast cancer from fungus on European yew 3. Rubber

III. Phenols attract pollinators Flavonoids, Flavins 1. Anthocyanins Grapes, berries Color depends on pH Human – protect against heart disease, diabetes, cancer, aging

2.Salicylic Acid Willow tree, aspirin, skin care Hippocrates 3.Lignin adds strength to cell walls Waterproof Fungal attacks

Secondary are toxic Usually in specific vacuoles Not every plant can produce every product Only produced when needed

Plants response to overgrazing  Fast growing plants protect juvenile parts  Slow growing plants defend entire life

Secondary compounds  b. suppress competitors  c. expensive only for valuable tissue (young) defense only when needed withdraw when no longer needed

d. coevolution  Hares10 year  Voles3-4 year  Moose10-30 year Response: heavier shoots longer sprouts overgrowth at growing tips no flowers this year

III. Herbivory  Most eaten: young, tender tips (papyriferic acid 2x in shoots) high carbon areas birch, willow, aspen, poplar  Least eaten: alder, spruce, old wood

Coevolution Milkweed is toxic

History Accidently –Who???? Used to mask unpleasant Money cardamon = years wages peppercorns = several slaves

Spice Trade

3,000 BCE First record of trade Assyrians 2600 BCE Evidence pyramid builders had foreign spices 1550 BCE Ebers papyrus lists spices used for medicine and embalming

Bible: Joseph sold to a spice caravan

1750 BCE Hammurabi codes Lists penalities for sloppy medical use of spices 1458 BCE Egyptian queen,Hatshepsut, visited Punt (modern Somalia) for spices

Arabs controlled trade for centuries 950 BCE caravans from India to the Greeks

Incense Road

Caravan could take 2 years

Incense Road, Silk Road

425 BCE Herodotus harvest cinnamon 331 BCE Alexander the Great founded Alexandria 80 BCE Ptolemy gave Alexandria to Romans

Arabs dominated until 1100 CE

1298 CE Marco Polo traveled to China, found world about spice locations.

Vasco de Gama 1498 CE first to reach India by sea

Most important event

Portugal and Spain 1493 Pope Alexander VI split

Magellan Circumnavigate 5 ships, only 1 left

Spain sold rights to Portugal, Portugal controlled spice trade

1580 Sir Francis Drake 1580 British East India Company 1640 Dutch East India Company Dutch seized Malaysia 1780 Dutch and English war English control

Okay, okay, okay. What’s in your cupboard?

Worldwide importance Medieval every town had Pepper St. Pepper district Canterbury Tales Sailors = gold earring, bag of peppercorns

India>Pakistan, Afghanistan> Iran, Iraq, Syria>Turkey> Balkan States>Venice Perfect for trade Venice became strong nation Developed banking system Medici Bank

Piper nigrum Vine Fruit is a drupe produces 3 rd yr continue 15 yrs

Originally S. India Currently 34% Vietnam

Turns red when ripe

Peppercorn Cooked and dried

Green =unripe White = ripe, soaked, outer removed Black = half-ripe, dry

Manganese Vitamin K Copper Fiber Iron Chromium calcium

Medicine aid digestion stimulates taste buds increase hydrochloric acid improve appetite treat coughs, colds colic diabetes anemia chewed for throat inflammation

Contains alkaloids piperine CNS depressant anti-oxidant anti-fungal anti-flatulent diuretic breakdown fat cells