Coriander

Scientific name: Coriandrum sativum

Common names: Stinking dill, Cilantro, Chinese parsley

Ayurvedic names: Dhanyaka

Chinese names: Hu sui, Yuan sui, xiang cai

Bangladesh names: Dhone, Dhane-pata 

Arabic names:    كزبرة (kuzbarah)

Rain Forest names:

Family: Umbelliferae

Approximate number of species known:

Common parts used: Seeds, Leaf

Collection:  The flowers are collected in summer, the seeds are shaken off.

Annual/Perennial: Annual

Height: 1 to 2 feet

Actions: Anti-microbial, aromatic, carminative

Known Constituents: Essential oil including coriandrol, fatty oil, tannin, sugar

Constituents Explained:

Description: 

Commonly used as a cooking additive, used for the digestive system to ease gas and bloating.  Not only does it enhance the secretion of digestive juices, but is used to ease diarrhea. Its antispasmodic effects makes it a fantastic addition to ease griping caused by other herbs. 

The seed is used to add a pleasant taste to other herbs that don’t taste pleasant.  Used to streghten the heart.1  

Traditional Use:

Clinical Studies:

Oxidative radicals are major environmental causes of human skin damage. Oxidative defense factors, including nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), are centrally involved in repairing skin cells or protecting them from oxidative damage.

Coriandrum sativum L. (coriander; CS) is a commonly consumed food and a traditional phytomedicine in Asia and Europe. In a study, the protective effects of a standardized CS leaf extract against oxidative stress in human HaCaT keratinocytes was examined.

CS significantly and dose-dependently protected cells against reduced cell viability caused by H2O2-induced damage, as assessed using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. 

Other assays demonstrated that CS protected HaCaT cells by increasing the levels of glutathione and activities of oxidative defense enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase and catalase. Moreover, it increased the expression of activated Nrf2, which plays a crucial role in protecting skin cells against oxidative stress.

These results suggest that CS protects human keratinocytes from H2O2-induced oxidative stress through antioxidant effects.

References:

Park G, Kim HG, Kim YO, Park SH, Kim SY, Oh MS. “Coriandrum Sativum L. Protects Human Keratinocytes From Oxidative Stress By Regulating Oxidative Defense System.” 2012 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22301773