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.