Salicylic Acid Content of Spices and Its Implications

TLDR

Salicylic acid, a hydrolysis product of aspirin, may help explain the low cancer incidence observed in rural India. The study aimed to quantify salicylate levels in common spices and evaluate their dietary bioavailability. Salicylate levels were measured in spices, cooked dishes, and post‑meal blood and urine by HPLC‑electrochemical detection, and serum concentrations from southern Indian villagers were compared to European values. All spices and cooked dishes contained salicylic acid (up to 1.5 wt %), and post‑meal blood and urine levels rose, confirming bioavailability, while serum concentrations in rural Indians were nearly three times higher than those reported for Western vegetarians.

Abstract

This work was done to determine the salicylate content of a variety of commonly used spices and to assess whether this potential dietary source of salicylate was bioavailable. Spices, Indian cooked dishes, and blood and urine samples taken after ingestion of a test meal were investigated for their salicylate content using high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. The serum salicylic acid concentrations in samples from villagers in southern India were also measured and have been compared with typical European values. Salicylic acid was determined in all spices (up to 1.5 wt %) and cooked dishes. The salicylate content of blood and urine was shown to increase following consumption of the meal, indicating that this dietary source of salicylic acid was bioavailable. Salicylic acid levels in the serum from rural Indians were significantly (median almost 3-fold) higher than values previously measured in Western vegetarians. Chemoprotective aspirin is rapidly hydrolyzed to salicylic acid, and this phytochemical may contribute to the low cancer incidence in rural India.