## 1 Introduction
In addition to their elevated reactivity in biological systems, free radicals have the capability to damage or change DNA biomolecules, whereas endogenous antioxidants can reduce or eliminate their activity in the body [4]. The use of antioxidants that exist naturally in herbs, vegetables, fruits, and spices has garnered considerable attention as a potentially less costly substitute to synthetic antioxidants in conventional and contemporary therapy owing to pertains related to the negative consequences of artificially produced antioxidants. Numerous studies published recently found a link between the intake of herbs and spices and the prevalence of chronic illness in people [9]. Culinary herbs and spices comprise natural antioxidants known to lessen oxidative stress brought by increased free radical levels in tissues as well as cells [4; 10]. The effect of oxidative stress, which is supposed to be chronic, has been connected to several illnesses, including heart disease, cancer, and, most significantly, accelerated aging. As a result, culinary herbs and spices have the potential to be used to avoid a variety of health issues that result from oxidative stress and different metabolic disorders in one's body. Owing to the phenolic compounds as well as the antioxidant activity of culinary herbs and spices, numerous studies have been conducted on their recognition, characterization, and investigation [3; 11]. Due to their complex nature, framework, and widely used cultivars in different parts of the globe, and mainly because there aren't any commercial standards for precisely identifying and validating the bioactives in the system, comprehensive characterization of culinary herbs and spices is not yet available. A professional analytical method called liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is used in conjunction with quadrupole time of flight (QTOF) for the purpose of identifying the unidentified bioactive chemicals in diverse samples of plants, including culinary spices as well as herbs. Although a few studies have been conducted for characterizing phytochemicals from herbs and spices, no study was conducted on these selected herbs and spices from Pakistan. Moreover, no study was conducted where the authors applied all these techniques in one study. A comprehensive characterization of the phytochemicals from the selected herbs and spices is still lacking due to the complex nature of phytochemicals and the non-availability and expense of commercial standards of all phytochemicals. Therefore, the goal of the present investigation was to research the frequently used spices and herbs (basil, mint, fennel, coriander, and fenugreek) for antioxidant and anti-diabetic potential, volatile as well as non-volatile compounds. That is why liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-quadrupole time of flight (LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were used to distinguish and separate 71 phenolic compounds from selected culinary spices and herbs. Moreover, TPC, TCT, TFC, hydroxyl radical scavenging assays (\({}^{\bullet}\)OH-RSA), 2,2-azio-bis-3-ethylbenzothazoline-6-sulfonic acid assay (ABTS), ferric reducing antioxidant power assay (FRAP), phosphomolybdate antioxidant (PMA) assay, and ferrous ion chelating activity (FICA) were conducted to determine the antioxidant and total polyphenol contents. Alpha-glucosidase inhibition activity was measured to investigate the anti-diabetic potential of selected herbs. In silico molecular docking further helped to investigate the role of these herbs in human health and drug discovery. This research will offer essential and precious knowledge about the powerful impact of phenolic compounds belonging to herbs on human health. Additionally, because of their potential antioxidant constituents, they will promote the utilization of culinary herbs along with spices in numerous food and feed businesses.