title: Which Bay Leaf is in Your Spice Rack? - A Quality Control Study.
abstract: The accurate identification of bay leaf in natural products commerce may often be confusing as the name is applied to several different species of aromatic plants. The true "bay leaf", also known as "bay laurel" or "sweet bay", is sourced from the treeLaurus nobilis, a native of the Mediterranean region. Nevertheless, the leaves of several other species includingCinnamomum tamala, Litsea glaucescens, Pimenta racemosa, Syzygium polyanthum, andUmbellularia californicaare commonly substituted or mistaken for true bay leaves due to their similarity in the leaf morphology, aroma, and flavor. Substitute species are, however, often sold as "bay leaves". As such, the name "bay leaf" in literature and herbal commerce may refer to any of these botanicals. The odor and flavor of these leaves are, however, not the same as the true bay leaf, and for that reason they should not be used in cooking as a substitute forL. nobilis. Some of the bay leaf substitutes can also cause potential health problems. Therefore, the correct identification of the true bay leaf is important. The present work provides a detailed comparative study of the leaf morphological and anatomical features ofL. nobilisand its common surrogates to allow for correct identification.
authors.affiliation: National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS, USA.
authors.forename: Vijayasankar
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Raman
authors.affiliation: William L. Brown Center, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Rainer W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Bussmann
authors.affiliation: National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS, USA.|Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University, MS, USA.
authors.forename: Ikhlas A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Khan
mesh_terms: D027424:Cinnamomum / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification; D019770:Lauraceae / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification*; D027442:Laurus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification*; D032862:Litsea / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification; D027822:Myrtaceae / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification*; D027841:Pimenta / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification; D011786:Quality Control; D027842:Syzygium / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification; D014197:Trees; D027422:Umbellularia / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification