CORIANDER
Latin name:
Coriandrum sativum L.
Common name:
Chinese parsley
Family:
Apiaceae
Origin:
Near East, Southern Europe
Part of the plant used:
Fruits
Description
Here is an example of a plant that is both aromatic and medicinal. While coriander leaves are used in cooking, it is its seeds that contain the pharmacological properties that are used in phytotherapy.
Coriander seeds are composed of triterpenes, including derivatives of caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid. They also contain furanocoumarins, including coriandrin. Pressing coriander seeds produces a fatty oil. In addition, coriander also has a petrol (0.1 to 2%) rich in monoterpenols (70% linanol). It is this essence that enables the essential oil to be obtained during the distillation of coriander seeds by steam distillation.
Coriander is notably used to facilitate digestion. Indeed, its seeds are carminative, i.e. they absorb gases and facilitate their expulsion.
The benefits
- Coriander, a plant used in cooking for its leaves, is used in phytotherapy for its seeds.
- It is a carminative plant which contributes to digestive comfort in case of bloating and flatulence. Coriander helps to maintain a normal gas balance in the digestive tract.
