Nutmeg Beyond Spice: A Review on Its Therapeutic Potential, Safety and Industrial Promise

Abstract

With the advancement of scientific knowledge and global awareness, a trend of utilizing natural resources, such as herbal and medicinal plants, for disease prevention and treatment. <i>Myristica fragrans</i> from the Myristicaceae family offers various medicinal benefits. It is widely used as a culinary spice and has a long history in traditional medicine for its various therapeutic applications. This review highlights the current findings on the pharmacological potential of <i>Myristica fragrans</i>, focusing on its health benefits and applications. Scientific literature was explored using the ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and PubMed databases. The studies reported that it contains alkaloids, terpenoids, phenols, flavonoids, and glycosides, with myristicin, macelignan, safrole, and sabinene as prime bioactive components. <i>M. fragrans</i> exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties by modulating various pathways like PI3K/Akt/mTOR, MAPK, and NF-κB signaling Pathways and G0/G1 or G2/M phase arrest. Moreover, other compounds such as dehydrodiisoeugenol, malabaricone B and C, elemicins, have also shown strong antioxidant potential and enzyme inhibitory properties, which enhance insulin sensitivity, inhibit α-glucosidase, reduce oxidative stress, and support neurocognitive function by inhibiting inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α). At high doses, gastrointestinal and hepato-renal adverse effects have been reported. However, with careful usage, it presents significant therapeutic potential. This article also focuses on industrial applications of <i>M. fragrans</i> as a medicine, a cosmetic agent, and in food for its aroma and functional properties. However, more clinical research is required to validate these findings and optimize effective and safe use in clinical applications.