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Introduction
Common Name
Coriander Plant
Chemical Constituents
Cultivation
History
Coriander as Medicinal Herb
Coriander other uses
Coriander Benefits
Economics
Recent research
Introduction:
Coriander is an important spice crop having a prime position in
flavouring food. Coriander is the most widely used flavouring herb in the world.
Its fresh leaves are used in salads, soups, vegetables etc. due to its aromatic flavour.
According to Dr. Fernanda Domingues, co-author of the new study, coriander oil could help the millions who
suffer from food-borne illnesses every year. “It could become a natural alternative to common antibiotics,” she said.
“We envisage the use of coriander in lotions, mouth rinses and even
pills, to fight multidrug- resistant bacterial infections that otherwise
could not be treated. This would significantly improve people’s quality of life,” she added.
Like other spices coriander is available throughout the year providing a
fragrant flavor that is reminiscent of both citrus peel and sage.
Common Name:
Hindi : Dhania
English - : Coriander
Latin - : Coriandrum sativum L.
Family - : Apiaceae Genus
Bengali : Dhana, Dhania
Gujarati : Kothmiri, Libdhaba
Kannada : Kothambri, Kothamiri bija
Kashmiri : Deaniwal, Kothambalari
Malayalam : Kothumpalari bija
Marathi : Dhana
Oriya : Dhania
Punjabi : Dhania
Sanskrit : Dhanyaka
Tamil : Kothamalli
Telugu : Dhaniyalu
Spanish : Cilantro
French : Corriandre
German : Koriander
Swedish : Koriander
Arabic : Kuzhbare
Dutch : Koriander
Portuguese : Coentro
Russian : Koriandr
Japanese : Koendoro
Chinese : Hu-sui
Coriander Plant:
Coriander plant is a thin stemmed, small, bushy herb, 25 to
50 cm in height with many branches and umbels. Leaves are alternate,
compound. The whole plant has a pleasant aroma. Inflorescence is a compound umbel comprises 5 smaller umbels.
Fruit is globular, 3 to 4 mm diameter, when pressed break into two locules each having one seed.
Fruit has delicate fragrance; seeds are pale white to light brown in colour.
The fruit of the coriander plant contains two seeds which, when dried,
are the parts that are used as the dried spice. When ripe, the seeds are
yellowish-brown in color with longitudinal ridges. They have a fragrant
flavor that is reminiscent of both citrus peel and sage. Coriander seeds
are available in whole or ground powder form.
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Coriander (Dhania) Plant
Coriander (Dhania) Flower
Coriander (Dhania) Seeds
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Chemical Constituents:
The fresh leaves of Coriander plant
contain about 0.012% oxalic acid and 0.172% calcium. Coriander's volatile oil is rich
in beneficial phytonutrients, including carvone, geraniol , limonene, borneol, camphor , elemol , and linalool . Coriander's
flavonoids include quercitin, kaempferol, rhamnetin , and epigenin . Also coridander contains active phenolic acid compounds, including
caffeic and chlorogenic acid.
Cultivation
Coriander is a native of Mediterranean and commercially produced in India,
Morocco, Russia, East European countries, France, Central America, Mexico, and USA. Coriander is a tropical crop and can be successfully
cultivated as a rabi season crop in an area free from severe frost during February when the crop flowers and sets its seeds.
It is in flower from June to July, and the seeds ripen from Aug to September. The flowers are
hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.The plant is self-fertile.
The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline)
soils. and can grow in very alkaline soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires dry or moist soil.
Coriander grows best when a cool damp spring is followed by a hot
dry summer. Coriander tends to run quickly to seed if the plants are too dry at the seedling stage . Plants tolerate a pH in the
range 4.9 to 8.3. Coriander is often cultivated, both on a garden scale and commercially. The plant is fast-growing, ripening its seed without
difficulty and it seems to be free of pests and diseases .
History
The use of coriander can be traced back to 5,000 BC, making it one of
the world's oldest spices. It is native to the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern regions and has been known in Asian countries for thousands of
years. Coriander was cultivated in ancient Egypt and given mention in
the Old Testament. It was used as a spice in both Greek and Roman cultures, the latter using it to preserve meats and flavor breads. The
early physicians, including Hippocrates, used coriander for its medicinal properties, including as an aromatic stimulant.
The Russian Federation, India, Morocco and Holland are among the countries that commercially produce coriander seeds. Coriander leaves
(cilantro) are featured in the culinary traditions of Latin American, Indian and Chinese cuisine.
The seeds have been used medicinally and as a food flavouring since ancient times, and were introduced into Britain by the
Romans. Coriander has been used as a folk medicine for the relief of anxiety and insomnia in Iran.
Coriander seeds are used in traditional Indian medicine as a diuretic by boiling equal amounts of coriander seeds and cumin
seeds, then cooling and consuming the resulting liquid. In holistic and traditional medicine, it is used as a carminative and as a digestive
Coriander as Medicinal Herb
In Ayurvedic system of medicine Coriander is used as a carminative, refrigerant, diuretic, and
aphrodisiac. In household medicines, it is used against seasonal fever, stomach disorders, and nausea.
Coriander is a commonly used domestic remedy, valued especially for its
effect on the digestive system, treating flatulence, diarrhoea and colic . It settles spasms in the gut and counters the effects of
nervous tension . The seed is aromatic, carminative, expectorant, narcotic, stimulant and stomachic. It is most often used with active
purgatives in order to disguise their flavour and combat their tendency to cause gripe.
Externally the seeds have been used as a lotion or have been bruised and used as a poultice to treat rheumatic
pains. The essential oil is used in aromatherapy.
Coriander other uses
Coriander oil and oleoresins are primarily used in seasonings for sausages and other meat products.
The young plant is used for flavouring and garnishing curries and soups.
The fruits (seeds) are widely used as condiments with or without roasting in the preparation of curry powders, sausages and seasonings.
It is an important ingredient in the manufacture of food flavourings, in
bakery products, meat products, soda and syrups, puddings, candy preserves and liquors.
Coriander fresh leaves are probably the most widely used flavouring herb in the world. The leaves have an
aromatic flavour. It is used as a flavouring in many dishes including cakes, bread and curries, it is also widely used to flavour
certain alcoholic liquors
Coriander Benefits
Coriander seeds have a health-supporting reputation that is high on the
list of the healing spices. In parts of Europe, coriander has traditionally been referred to as an "anti-diabetic" plant. In parts of
India, it has traditionally been used for its anti-inflammatory properties. In the United States, coriander has recently been studied
for its cholesterol-lowering effects.
Control of Blood Sugar, Cholesterol and Free Radical
Production: Recent research studies have confirmed all
three of these healing effects. When coriander was added to the diet of
diabetic mice, it helped stimulate their secretion of insulin and lowered their blood sugar. When given to rats, coriander reduced the
amount of damaged fats (lipid peroxides) in their cell membranes. And
when given to rats fed a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet, coriander
lowered levels of total and LDL (the "bad" cholesterol), while actually
increasing levels of HDL (the "good" cholesterol). Research also suggests that the volatile oils found in the leaves of the coriander
plant, commonly known as cilantro, may have antimicrobial properties.
Coriander contains an antibacterial compound that may prove to be a safe, natural means of fighting Salmonella, a frequent
and sometimes deadly cause of foodborne illness, suggests a study published in the June 2004 issue of the
Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry |
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Economics
Coriander plants yield about 1¾ tonnes per acre of
seed . The root is powdered and used as a condiment . An essential oil from the seed is used as a food
flavouring Coriander Powder and coriander cumin mix powder which is a traditional
Indian spices is a consumers product. In market Double Hathi Coriander Cumin Powder is a mixture of Whole
Coriander Called Dhania which known for its strong smell and green color and Whole Cumin called Jeera Which known for its smell. The mixture of
this coriander cumin powder adds great taste to food. This Coriander
cumin mixture powder is used in daily cooking.
The fruit of the coriander plant contains two seeds which, when dried,
are the portions used as the dried spice. When ripe, the seeds are yellowish-brown in color with longitudinal ridges. Coriander seeds are
available whole or in ground powder form.
The most-active coriander contract NCORc1 on NCDEX for August 2011 delivery
had struck a contract high of 6,326 per 100 kg in August, 2011, with a volume of 19,840 metric tonnes.
Recent research
A new study suggests that oil from the seeds of coriander,
the green herb that's more commonly known as cilantro — may be able to wipe out a
broad range of harmful bacteria, including drug-resistant bugs and those
that commonly cause food poisoning.
In the new study, Dr. Fernanda Domingues of the University of Beira Interior, in Portugal, and her team tested the effect of coriander oil
against 12 bacterial strains in the lab, including E. coli, Salmonella enterica, Bacillus cereus and methicillin-resistant
"Staphylococcus aureus", or MRSA. Solutions containing 1.6% coriander or less killed or
slowed the growth of all the bacteria tested.
According to Dr.Fernanda Domingues, co-author of the study, coriander oil could help the millions who
suffer from food-borne illnesses every year. |
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