Coriandrum sativum Linn.

Family:

Umbelliferae; Apiaceae.

Habitat:

Cultivated chiefly in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Bihar.

English:

Coriander.

Ayurvedic:

Dhaanyaka, Kustumburu, Dhaanyeyaka, Dhanika, Dhanikaa, Dhaanaa, Dhaanya, Dhaniyaa, Kunati, Chhatraa, Vitunnaka.

Unani:

Kishneez.

Siddha/Tamil:

Kotthamalli.

Action:

Stimulant, stomachic, carminative, antispasmodic, diuretic; also hypoglycaemic and anti-inflammatory. Oil—bactericidal and larvicidal. Used in China as a remedy for measles, diabetes, aerophagy and gastroenteritis.

Key application:

In dyspeptic complaints, loss of appetite. (German Commission E, British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, Indian Herbal Pharmacopoeia.)

Coriander contains 0.5–1% volatile oil, consisting mainly of delta-linalool (55–74%), alpha-pinene and terpinine. It also contains flavonoids, coumarins, phthalides and phenolic acids (including caffeic and chlorogenic).

Aqueous extract of the roasted seeds contains large amounts of...