| Coriander Spice by
Ray Sahelian, M.D. Coriander (Coriandrum
sativum) is an herb commonly used
as a spice in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean,
Indian, Latin American, Chinese, African and Southeast Asian cuisine. All
parts of the plant are edible, but the fresh coriander leaf and the dried
coriander seeds are the most commonly used in cooking. Coriander belongs
to the parsley or carrot family, Apiaceae. Coliander is also commonly
called cilantro.
Coriander and Cholesterol
Coriander reduces cholesterol and
triglycerides levels in rats.
Coriander seed
The dry coriander fruits are known as coriander seeds or simply as
coriander. They have a lemony citrus flavor when crushed. Coriander seeds are
usually dried but can be eaten green. Ground coriander is a major ingredient in
curry powder. Rare cases of
anaphylaxis have been reported with coriander seed
ingestion.
Bergamot Coriander
Some essential oils or
fragrances include bergamot and coriander.
Coriander Chemical Composition
The essential oil of coriander leaves (Coriandrum
sativum) and wild coriander leaves (Eryngium foetidum) grown in Fiji was
obtained by steam distillation. The most important odorants in coriander were
found to be Z-2-decenal, a co-eluting odor-cluster (E-2-dodecenal,
E-2-dodecen-1-ol, and 1-dodecanol), beta-ionone, eugenol, and E-2-decenal.
E-2-decen-1-ol was the most abundant compound in coriander but only
contributed a tiny fraction of the total odor activity. The most abundant
compound in wild coriander leaves was E-2-dodecenal, which also contributed the most odor
activity. Other important odorants were either eugenol or a
trimethylbenzaldehyde isomer, beta-ionone, Z-4-dodecenal, dodecanal, and
E-2-tetradecenal.
The major component of essential oil of fennel, transanethol, had a lower antioxidant activity than essential oil of coriander.
The mixture of essential oils from laurel and coriander possess antioxidant
properties and strongly inhibit the oxidation of components of fennel oil.
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