Nutmeg is a seed (kernel) from the fruit of the Myristica fragrans tree, and it has a pleasant aroma. It is a highly treasured spice that has been used for its fragrant, aphrodisiac, and therapeutic effects since antiquity. Botanically, the plant belongs to Myristicaceae family of medium to large trees. Its scientific name is: Myristica fragrans. The spicy nut includes the fixed oil trimyristin as well as various essential volatile oils such as myristicin, elemicin, eugenol, and safrole, which give nutmegs their sweet aromatic flavour. Pinene, camphene, di pentene, cineole, linalool, sabinene, safrole, and terpineol are among the other volatile oils. Myristicin and elemicin, two chemicals found in this spice, have been shown to have both relaxing and stimulating effects on the brain. Eugenol, found in nutmeg oil, has been used in dentistry to relieve toothaches. The oil can also be used as a local massage to relieve muscle discomfort and joint rheumatic pain. Nausea, gastritis, and indigestion have all been treated with a freshly prepared decoction with honey.

Key words: Myristicin, , nutmeg, pinene, sabinene

Introduction

Medicinal herbs have been used for healing since the dawn of time. Human cultures have been in intimate contact with their environment from their inception, and have relied on the environment's elements for food and healing. Through trial and error, humans gradually learned to recognise and use plants to cook food and obtain medicine, and they were able to meet their needs from their surroundings. Medicinal plants are employed in practically every culture as a medical resource. Medicinal herbs have been employed as a safe therapeutic technique in numerous civilizations around the world for thousands of years. The operation of medicinal plants is founded on the extensive experience of countless healers over ages,which has been passed down from generation to generation.

Plants, in particular, have been emphasised in traditional medicine, with records dating back to around 2600 BC in Mesopotamia of 1000 plant-based products that include the use of extracted oils of Cupressus arizonica Greene, Commiphora acuminate Mattick, Cedrus libani A. Rich, Glycyrrhiza glabra L., and Papauer samniferum L. for the treatment of everything from common colds and coughs (Ekor, 2014). In ancient Mesopotamia, herbal remedies and other pharmaceuticals were widely employed by physicians. Some therapies were presumably based on empirically established characteristics of the materials employed, while others were based on the attribution of superstitious or symbolic attributes rather than usefulness. A Sumerian cuneiform tablet from the year 2000 BC lists fifteen pharmacological prescriptions, albeit it lacks the context offered by the names of the maladies that the components are prescribed for (Anderson, 1969). Sodium chloride (salt), potassium nitrate (saltpetre), milk, snakeskin, turtle shell, cassia, myrtle, asafetida, thyme, willow, pear, fig, fir, and date are among the therapies' faunal, botanic, and mineral components.

India has a rich culture of medicinal herbs and species, with over 2000 species and a broad geographical area with great potential abilities for Ayurvedic, Unani, and Siddha traditional medicines, but only a few have been chemically and pharmacologically examined for their medicinal potential. Ayurveda is a traditional Indian medical system. Its goal is to promote health and well-being by balancing the mind, body, and spirit, rather than treating disease. The plants listed below are utilised for therapeutic purposes.

1. Ashwagandha: Ashwagandha is the common name for Withania somnifera. The Rigveda, which is thought to have been composed between 3500 and 1600 B.C., mentions the use of plants as medicine. The properties and therapeutic benefits of medicinal plants were later investigated in depth and empirically recorded by ancient physicians in Ayurveda, which is India's oldest medical science. Ashwagandha has been shown in a number of animal studies to have significant effects on the hematopoietic system, acting as an immunoregulator and chemoprotective agent. Ashwagandha has a thyrotropic impact, according to research. Ashwagandha has been shown to be useful in the treatment of osteoarthritis in studies.

2. Tulsi: Tulsi is a fragrant plant in the basil family Lamiaceae (tribe ocimeae) that is endemic to the eastern globe. It is said to have originated in north central India. Because of its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties, tulsi aids in wound healing. Tulsi's phytotherapeutic qualities have been investigated in a variety of animal studies, revealing that it contains anti-anxiety and anti-depressant properties. Within Ayurveda, modern studies reveal that tulsi is beneficial in treating a variety of stressful situations.

3. Turmeric: It is one of the most beneficial medicinal herbs. Turmeric's colouring principle is curcumin, which has a yellow hue and is a necessary component of the plant. Curcumin has been found to be a potent oxygen free radical scavenger. It has antioxidant properties similar to Vitamins C and E. Turmeric protects the heart by acting as an antioxidant, decreasing lipid preoxidation, acting as an anti-diabetic, and inhibiting platelet aggregation. Curcumin has been shown in numerous tests to be beneficial in treating arthritis symptoms, even outperforming anti-inflammatory medicines in some situations.

4. Amla: Traditional medicine uses both the dried and fresh fruits of the plant. Amla has been shown to help with respiratory problems. It's notably useful for pulmonary TB, asthma, and bronchitis. The herb is effective in managing diabetes due to its high vitamin C concentration. It is thought to be a good treatment for heart problems. Amla is high in vitamin C and aids in blood pressure regulation.

5.Asafoetida: Heing's digestive, carminative, and analgesic properties are credited with its health advantages. In Ayurveda and traditional herbal medicine, heing powder has a lot of medicinal potential. It is used in traditional medicine for digestive problems, mental issues, heart disease, and respiratory problems. Extracted heing possesses antispasmodic and hypotensive properties. It  help to lower blood pressure and relieve muscle spasms.

Nutmeg

            Myristica fragrans, sometimes known as Nutmeg, is a medium-sized, wergreen aromatic tree that belongs to the Myristicaceae family. It's found in India, Southeast Asia, northern Australia, and the Pacific Islands. The Nutmeg tree is native to the Banda Islands in East Indonesia's Moluccas. Spices are made from the seed (nutmeg) and the fleshy aril (mace). It has a myristicin content of 4%. Since the 12th century, when it was employed as a fumigant, the Nutmeg spice has been recognised throughout Europe. Perfumery, tobacco, and toothpaste all employ nutmeg butter, a fat obtained from the seed. It is used in medicine to aid digestion and alleviate rheumatism. Myristica fragrans seed is also used to treat diarrhoea, mouth sores, and other digestive problems.

Malabaricon C, derived from Myristica fragrans, has been shown to have inhibitory effect against a variety of anaerobic and aerobic microorganisms. The seed kernel of nutmeg is found inside the fruit. On the Kernal, there is a fleshy red, net-like skin covering (aril). This plant is responsible for the production of both spices. It is a spreading aromatic evergreen tree that grows to a height of 5-13 metres, with a maximum height of 20 metres. The pointy dark green leaves are borne on 1 cm long leaf stalks and are placed alternately along the branches. Flowers are waxy, meaty, and bell-shaped and are pale yellow in colour.  Fruits are fleshy, yellow, smooth, and 6-9 cm long with a longitudinal ridge. When the fruit is fully ripe, the sweet yellow fruit covering breaks in two, revealing a purplish-brown, lustrous seed (nutmegs) encircled by a scarlet aril (mace). Nutmeg seeds are broadly oval (2-3 cm long), solid, meaty, and white, with red-brown flecks. Aril (mace) is brilliant scarlet while fresh, then becomes horny, brittie, and a yellowish-brown colour when dried. The trees do not bloom until they are roughly 9 years old, but once they do, they continue to flower for another 75 years. The trees produce two to three crops per year. The seeds (nutmegs) must dry for 3-6 weeks before they may be used.  Alkyl benzene derivatives (myristica, elemicin, safrole), myristica acid, alpha-pinene, terpenes, beta-pinene, and trimyristin are the main chemical elements of Myristica fragrans. About 10% of the essential oil in nutmeg is made up of terpene hydrocarbons (Sabinene and pinene), myrcene, phellandrene, camphere, limonene, terpinene, myrcene, pcymene, and other terpene derivatives. Nutmeg's halocinogenic action is due to myristicin, a member of the latter category. There are also 25-30% fixed oils in the seed (myristic, stearic, palmitate, oleic, linoleic and lauric acid). Aside from saponins, polyphenols, tannins, epicatechin, triterpenic sapogenins, and fats, the seeds include saponins, polyphenols, tannins, epicatechin, epicatechin, triterpenic sapogenins, and fats. Calcium, phosphorus, iron, thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin have all been found in nutmeg. The nutmeg oil is a mobile, colourless and pale yellow liquid, with a characteristic odour and the major constituents of the oil are d-prinene and d-camphene Nutmeg bitter produced from the plant is commercial and highly aromatic fat is ground and cooked or steamed before pressing. It is a soft solid, yellow or yellowish red in colour with an odour and taste of nutmeg (Gordon, 2004).

In a study involving 25 distinct bacterial strains, the antibacterial activity of the volatile oil derived from the seeds of Myristica fragrans was examined, and it was discovered that it was equally efficient against the majority of gram positive and gram negative germs. Nutmeg extract from the dried seed cover has been found to have potent antifungal and antibacterial properties. Myristica fragrans' dried seed cover contains two chemicals, both of which have potent antifungal and antibacterial properties. Nutmeg has been shown to have significant antibacterial action in experiments. It's also an antiseptic, disinfectant, and food preservative. Antifungal substances derived from neolignans and evgenol were identified from Nutmeg in one investigation. Anticholinesterase inhibition is used to treat Alzheimer's disease, which slows cognitive deterioration by lowering cholinergic deficiencies.  Nutmeg and its oil have been utilised in Chinese and Indian traditional medicine for illnesses of the neurological and digestive systems since ancient times. Myristicin and elemicin, two chemicals found in these spices, have both relaxing and stimulating effects on the brain (Maikhubu, 2006). Eugenol, found in nutmeg oil, has been used in dentistry to relieve toothaches (Duke et al., 2002; Kokwaro, 2009). The oil is also applied locally to relieve muscle and joint discomfort caused by rheumatoid arthritis (Pamphona-Roger, 1999). Nausea, gastritis, and indigestion have all been treated with a freshly prepared decoction with honey (Doman et al., 2000). Nutmeg is used to treat diarrhoea, carminative, and rheumatism. Powdered seeds or a decoction of the seeds are used to treat diarrhoea, carminative, and rheumatism (Sofowora, 1993; Okeogwale and Omofeze, 2001; Okoli et al., 2007). The powdered seed is used to mask the disagreeable taste and odour of a variety of herbal treatments. Insecticides are also made from the plant (Balick and Paul, 2000). The nutmeg decoction is used to alleviate flatulence, nausea, and vomiting (Kurian, 2010).

Conclusion

Nutmeg is considered to have therapeutic characteristics that can aid with indigestion and stomach ulcers. Many people use this spice in their cooking because it aids digestion. For the same reason, a pinch of nutmeg is sometimes added to Indian delicacies.

References

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