CHAPTER 11: Coriander or Cilantro Coriander/Chinese Parsley (Coriandrum sativum)

Coriander's seeds, leaves and roots are edible with very distinct aromas; sometimes the seeds are called coriander and the leaves cilantro. To the majority of the population, the herb has a pleasant light and fresh lemon-lime flavour (except those with a genetic variation of olfactory (smell) receptor 6A2 (OR6A2), who describe the smell as soapy and unpleasant). Coriander is a popular culinary plant worldwide, and its medicinal values have been recognized since ancient times. Coriander contains bioactive phytochemicals responsible for a wide range of health benefits, making it a promising functional food of the future. Research, primarily from Asia with some from North Africa and Europe, has identified that the herb, spice and essential oil of this plant possess a number of bioactive properties, some of which may be associated with the prevention and treatment of chronic non-communicable diseases. These include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, glucose lowering, anti-diabetic, lipid lowering, anti-obesity, hypotensive, hepato- and renal protective, chemopreventive/anti-cancer, and neuroprotective properties. Coriander has also been shown to possess antixiolytic (anti-anxiety), migraine relieving, analgesic, anti-convulsant, gut modulatory and anti-microbial properties.