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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania » Eastern Regional Research Center » Dairy and Functional Foods Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #408452
Research Project: In vitro Human Gut System: Interactions Between Diet, Food Processing, and Microbiota

Location: Dairy and Functional Foods Research

Title: The ex vivo effects of ethanol extractions of black cumin seed, turmeric root, and Ceylon cinnamon bark on the human gut microbiota

Author
item Mahalak, Karley
item Narrowe, Adrienne
item Liu, Lin
item Firrman, Jenni
item Scarino Lemons, Johanna
item VAN DEN ABBEELE, PIETER - Cryptobiotix
item BAUDOT, AURELIEN - Cryptobiotix
item YAO, YUANHANG - University Of Maryland
item LI, YANFANG - University Of Maryland
item YU, LIANGLI - University Of Maryland

Submitted to: PLOS ONE
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/1/2025
Publication Date: 12/4/2025
Citation: Mahalak, K.K., Narrowe, A.B., Liu, L.S., Firrman, J., Scarino Lemons, J.M., Van Den Abbeele, P., Baudot, A., Yao, Y., Li, Y., Yu, L. 2025. The ex vivo effects of ethanol extractions of black cumin seed, turmeric root, and Ceylon cinnamon bark on the human gut microbiota. PLOS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0334824.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0334824

Interpretive Summary: Black cumin, turmeric root, and Ceylon cinnamon are three spices that are very common in cooking around the world and have also been used in traditional medical practices. These three spices are thought to have protective effects against digestive distress and related health problems, but not much is known for sure about how they affect human health. The gut microbiota is an important contributor to digestive and intestinal health. Since these spices are thought to help against digestive distress, we used a laboratory growth method to find how each of these three spices impacted the human gut microbiota. We tested how the spices affected the growth of the gut microbiota and measured their production of short-chain fatty acids, microbial by-products that are known to improve gut health. Overall, we found that black cumin produced the most changes concerning the function of the gut microbiota with the largest increase in short-chain fatty acid production, followed by Ceylon cinnamon, while turmeric root did not produce any notable effects under these experimental conditions.

Technical Abstract: Black cumin, turmeric root, and Ceylon cinnamon bark are spices that have been used for both culinary purposes and in traditional medicine practices. These three spices are frequently connected with providing antidiabetic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and gastroprotective properties. However, most studies on the potential health effects of these spices have not been performed in humans. Since many of the health effect claims relate to gastrointestinal health, we explored the impact of black cumin extract (BCE), turmeric root extract (TRE), and Ceylon cinnamon extract (CCE) on the human gut microbiota ex vivo over 48 hours. Changes in relative abundance, microbial population size, and community diversity were determined using shotgun sequencing and flow cytometry. Gas-chromatography-Flame ionizing detection analysis was performed to understand the metabolic output of the gut microbiome with these 3 treatments via short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) analysis. While TRE treatment had very little effect on the gut microbiota, BCE treatment generated the most significant changes in SCFA production, specifically increases in acetate, butyrate, and propionate production. These changes, along with those caused by CCE treatment, indicate that extracts from these spices may have an impact on the human gut microbiome that could explain their purported health effects.