1.

Introduction:
Plants have formed the basis of sophisticated traditional medicine systems that have been
in existence for thousands of years such extensive dependence of human being on “Mother
Nature” has invoked tremendous interest in the scientific world, which ultimately led to the
isolation of a vast number of chemical agents with potentials for multipurpose uses. Plants have
economic and environmental uses, depending on the natural characteristics. Some are consumed
in human diet, while other species have medicinal values and still other species are good
resource of minerals and vitamins.
Coriandrum Sativum is native to regions spanning from southern Europe and North
Africa to southwestern Asia. It is a soft plant growing to 50 cm (20 in) tall. The leaves are
variable in shape, broadly lobed at the base of the plant, and slender and feathery higher on the
flowering stems. The flowers are borne in small umbels, white or very pale pink, asymmetrical,
with the petals pointing away from the center of the umbel longer (5–6 mm) than those pointing
toward it (only 1–3 mm long). The fruit is a globular, dry schizocarp 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) in
diameter. Although sometimes eaten alone, the seeds often are used as a spice or an added
ingredient in other foods [1].
The word “phyto” is the Greek word for plant. Phytochemicals which not only that they
are non-nutritive plants chemicals they have protective or disease preventive properties but also
protect human from a host of disease. Phytochemical studies have shown that plants with
antimicrobial activity contain bioactive constituents such as tannins, flavonoids, alkaloids and
saponins. Alkaloids and flavonoids have been used as antiviral, antibacterial, antimicrobial and
anticancer agents. Phenolic and polyphenolic are the other group of secondary metabolites. The
uses of plant derived products as disease control agents have been studied, since they tend to
have low mammalian toxicity, less environmental effects and wide public acceptance.
1.1 Classification of phytochemicals:
1.1.1 Primary phytochemicals:
These phytochemicals are essential for plants as nutrients. This class includes carbohydrates,
proteins, lipids and nucleic acids.
1.1.1.1 Carbohydrates:
Carbohydrates are polyhydroxy, aldehydes or ketones. Carbohydrates are classified into
three classes; monosaccharide, oligosaccharides and polysaccharides [2]. Carbohydrates play

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major role in all forms of life and most of organic matter on the earth is made up from
carbohydrates. Carbohydrates have several functions in body these are:
Carbohydrates are the major source of energy storages, fuels and metabolic intermediates.
Ribose and deoxyribose sugar form part of structural framework of RNA and DNA.
In the cell wall of bacteria and plant polysaccharide are structural element.
Carbohydrates that are linked to many proteins and lipids play important role in transport of
components across the cells [3].
On the basis of number of monomers presence, carbohydrates are three types.
1.1.1.1.1 Monosaccharide’s (Mono-One; saccharide-Sugar):
This is also called simple sugar. Glucose has molecular formula C6H12O6 is the important
monosaccharide. Most of carbohydrates in the food are broken down to glucose in the digestion.
Glucose is used by the body to make all the other carbohydrates it needs, such as glycogen, an
energy-storage compound found in the muscle and liver. Glucose can also be used in the body
for synthesis of amino acids and other needed compounds. Some other common
monosaccharides are fructose found in fruits and honey that is also used as a preservative of
foodstuff. Galactose found in milk sugar and sucrose, the table sugar is a disaccharide made up
of fructose and glucose molecule bonded with each other. The chemical names of sugars always
end in “-ose”[4].
1.1.1.1.2 Oligosaccharides:
Oligosaccharides contain 2-10 monosaccharides units, linked by glycosidic bonds.
Carbohydrates which have low molecular weight can be hydrolyzed by enzymes or acids to yield
monosaccharides [5]. Oligosaccharides are classified into disaccharide, trisaccharide,
tetrasaccharide and pentasaccharide based upon the number of monosaccharides they contain.
Some of them are reducing and some of them are non-reducing in nature.
1.1.1.1.3 Polysaccharides:
Polysaccharides are large molecules that are made up of hundreds of monosaccharide
units bonded together. The most important polysaccharides are starch, glycogen and cellulose
[4].
1.1.1.2 Proteins:
Proteins are the most abundant biological macromolecules present in all parts of cells.
Proteins are present in large variety; thousands of different kinds, ranging in size from relatively

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small peptide to huge polymers with molecular weights in the millions, may be present in a
single cell. Proteins have different biological functions.
Proteins are the molecular instruments through which organisms express their genetic
information. Relatively simple nonnumeric subunits provide the key to the structure of the
thousands of different proteins. All proteins, whether from the most ancient lines of bacteria or
form the most complex forms of life, are constructed from the same ubiquitous set of 20 amino
acids, covalently linked in characteristic linear sequences. Because each amino acids has a side
chain with the distinctive chemical properties, this group of twenty precursor molecules may be
regarded as the alphabet of protein structure in written.
What is most remarkable is that cells can produce proteins with strikingly different
properties and activities by joining the same 20 amino acids in many different combination and
sequences. Organisms by using these twenty different building blocks can make such widely
diverse products as enzymes, antibodies, hormones, transporters, muscle fibers, feathers and the
lens. Protein of the eye, spider webs and rhinoceros horn, antibiotics, milk proteins, mushroom
poisons and myriad other substances having distinct biological activities. Among these proteins
products, the enzymes are the most varied and specialized type of proteins. Virtually all cellular
reactions are catalyzed by enzymes.
1.1.1.2.1 Amino Acid:
The building block of protein is called amino acids. Each amino acid residue joined to
neighbor by a specific type of covalent bond. Protein can be (hydrolyzed) broken down to their
constituent amino acid by variety of methods. In proteins twenty different types of amino acid
are commonly found. Amino acid which was first discovered was asparagine in 1806. All the
amino acid have common or trivial names, in some cases derived from the source from which
they were first isolated. Tyrosine was first isolated from cheese (its name is derived from the
Greek tyros, “cheese”); and glycine (Greek glykose, “sweet”) was so named because of its sweet
taste, Asparagines was first found in asparagus, and glutamate in wheat gluten [6].
1.1.2 Secondary Phytochemicals:
These are non-nutritive plants compounds. These compounds play a variety of defensive and
metabolic roles in plants. They are of different types.

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1.1.2.1Alkaloids:
In 1819 Meissner discovered a compound in plants it named alkaloid because of its
“alkali-like” nature but this cannot be correctly defined. The passage of time definition was
change as: Alkaloids are those compounds having nitrogen atom in its ring. Alkaloids are
classified on the basis of a large number of halogenated cyclic nitrogen-containing substances
[4]. Alkaloid is a diverse group and found in 25% of plants species among the natural products.
Alkaloids obtained in large number from plants and uses in pharmacy [5]. Amino acids (Phe,
Trp, Tyr, Orn, and Lys) with primary metabolism products are precursor for alkaloids [6].
1.1.2.2 Flavonoids:
More than 9000 flavonoids have been found in plants. Flavonoids are secondary
metabolites derived from the phenylpropanid pathway. This family consists of flavanones,
flavanols, anthrocyanides and flavones [7]. Flavonoids have multiple biological functions in
addition to their scavenging activity that as antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral as well as
being inhibitors of phospholipase A2, cycloxygenase and lipoxygenase [8, 9]. Some other
functions of flavonoides are UV protection, defense, flower coloring and sexual reproduction
process [10, 11]. Flavonoids have main role in foundation of important biological phenomena
such as“George Mendel’s Discovery law of heredity”. Plant enzyme Chalcone Syntheses (CHS)
is used for the preparation of all types of flavonoids [11].
1.1.2.3 Cardiac Glycosides:
Cardiac glycosides (CGs) are a group of plant derived compound that have been used for
many years in traditional medicine and that are presently used for the behavior of arterial
fibrillation and cardiac failure [12]. Mutually plants and mammals produce cardiac glycosides
[13]. Five types of cardiac glycosides have been identifying in mammals tissue. Cardiac
glycoside having major function in Na/K gradient flow and ATPase [14, 15].
1.1.2.4 Tannins:
Tannins are a group of phenolic compounds. They are secondary metabolites of plants
[16]. Tannins have high binding attraction for proteins [17]. Diet having poly phenols is
associated with less risk of heart and cancer disease because they have antioxidant properties.
Tannins also have function in plants resistance and defense aligned with harmful agents [18].

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1.1.2.5 Phenolic Compounds:
Phenols, polyphenols or phenolic compounds are naturally occurring colored compounds
and are responsible for fruits color in plants. These are very valuable to plants and produce
defensive action against herbivores, pathogens and predator. There are many phenolic
compounds present in plants like Naringin, rutin, chlorogenics and hesperidins. Caffiec acid is
the most common phenolic compound present in most plants. Phenolic compounds are mostly
antioxidant and prevent disease such as heart, cancer and many others. Phenolic compounds are
present in apples, wines and green Tea [19].
1.1.2.6 Steroids:
Plant steroids are also known as cardiac glycosides. These compounds exert very specific
and very powerful action mainly on the cardiac muscles when administrated through injection or
as a dose. Steroids also promote the maintenance of nitrogen in osteoporosis and animals with
wasting illness. Steroids must be taken in low quantity because in high quantity it causes harmful
effects or and sometime leads to death. Diosgenin and cevadine are the most common steroids
present in most plants [20].
1.1.2.7 Terpenoids:
Terpenoids are also known as isoprenoids. Terpenoids produced a large rank of
phytochemical in grains and green plants. These phytochemical are very beneficial in human and
cause prevention of disease such as chronic damage and growth dysfunction. They also act as
anti-oxidant. The tocopherols and tocotrienols are familiar Terpenoides which has effective
apoptotic inducer for human breast cancer [21]. Other common terpenoides are ursolic acid,
oleanic acid and amyrins. Most of them are neurotoxic, sedative, cytotoxic, insecticidal, anti-
inflammatory and anti-microbe in function [22].
1.1.2.8 Saponins:
They have a steroidal or a triterpenoid aglycone to which one or more sugar chains are
attached [7]. Steroids are the chemical structures having their biological properties as natural
non-ionic detergents which have molluscicidal, anti-inflammatory, hemolytic, cytotoxic, anti-
fungal, anti-yeast, antiviral and anti-bacterial activities [8, 22]. Saponins (non-ionic detergents)
belong to group of glycosides. Some steroids are also used in pharmaceutical industry. On the
base of nature of their aglycone skeleton, Saponins are classified into two groups steroidal and
triterpenoid [7].

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1.1.2.9 Carotenoids:
Carotenoids are chemically tetraterpenoides and are responsible for red orange and
yellow coloration of many plants, vegetables, salmon and fish like trout, plants roots and egg
yolk. Carotenoids are synthesized by plant, algae, yeast, fungi and bacteria. There are about 100
carotenoids for human β -carotene, α-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, leutein and lycopene.
Carotenoides are very helpful bioactive phytochemical and producing health promoting effects,
produce immunity enhancement and reduction of the risk of generative diseases such as
cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and cancer. Carotenoides also act as a free radical scavengers
[23]. Carotenoides are found in large quantity in colorful plant food e.g. with 6.6 and
7.6mg/100g of β-carotene and leutein found in carrots and spinach, respectively. But the tree
nuts contain very low amount of Carotenoides. Pasticcios contain about 4.4 and 0.21mg/100g
leutein and β-carotene respectively [24].

6
2. Literature Review:
C. sativum is an annual herb, originating from the Mediterranean countries, belongs to the
Apiaceae family. This herb is cultivated commercially in Europe, Asia and Africa. It is one of
miraculous herb that functions as both spice and herbal medicine [25].
2.1 Plant profile:
2.1.1 Synonyms:
Bifora loureiroi Kostel. Coriandropsis syriaca H. Wolff, Coriandrum globosum Salisb.
Coriandrum majus Gouan, Selinum coriandrum Krause [26].
2.1.2 Taxonomic Classification:
Kingdom: Plantae; Subkingdom: Tracheobionta; Superdivision: Spermatophyta; Division:
Magnoliophyta; Class: Magnoliopsida; Subclass: Rosidae; Order: Apiales; Family: Apiaceae;
Genus: Coriandrum; Species: Coriandrum Sativum [27,28].
2.1.3 Common Names:
Arabic: kuzbara, kuzbura; Chinese: yuan sui, hu sui; English: coriander, cilantro, collender,
Chinese parsley; French: coriander, coriandre cultivé; German: Koriander, Wanzendill,
Schwindelkorn; Greek: koriannon, korion; Urdu/Hindi: dhania, dhanya; Italian: coriandolo,
coriandro; Japanese: koendoro; Portuguese: coentro, coriandro; Sanskrit: dhanayaka,
kusthumbari; Spanish: coriandro, cilantro, cilandrio, cilantro; Swedish: coriander [29,30].
The fruit of C. sativum is a diuretic, antipyretic, stomachic, aphrodisiac stimulant,
laxative, anathematic and cures biliousness, bronchitis and vomiting. The leaves are hypotonic,
analgesic, and useful in hiccough, suppuration, piles, inflammation, toothache, jaundice, scabies
and gland tuberculosis. C. sativum seeds showed a significant hypoglycemic action on rats [31].
All parts of the plant are edible but the fresh leaf and the dried seeds are the most
common parts used in cooking. In the Indian traditional medicine, C. sativum is used in treating
the disorders of digestive, respiratory and urinary systems, as it has diaphoretic, diuretic,
carminative and stimulant activity. In Iranian traditional medicine, C. sativum has been indicated
for a number of medical problems such as dyspeptic complaints, loss of appetite, convulsion,
anxiety and insomnia [32]. Major active constituents of C. sativum are essential oils and fatty oil.
The weight of essential oil content of ripe and dried fruits of C. sativum vary between 0.03% and
2.6% whereas the content of fatty oil varies between 9.9% and 27.7% respectively. The previous

7
studies showed that the chemical composition of C. sativum varies considerably with variety,
region and age of the product. The content of volatile oil of the seeds may be as high as 8%.
The volatile oil contains about α-pinene (1.5%), β-pinene (0.2%), sabinene (2.8%),
myrcene (1.6%), α phellandrene (0.2%), limonene (11.6%), 1,8-cineole (36.3%), γ-terpinene
(0.7%), terpinolene (0.5%), linalool (3%), linalyl acetate (2.5%), terpinene (0.9%), α-terpineol
(2.6%), α-terpinyl acetate (31.3%), citronellol (0.3%), nerd (0.5%), geraniol (0.5%), methyl
eugenol (0.2%) and trans-nerolidol (2.7%) [33].
The basic C. sativum aroma produced by a combination of the major components, 1,8-
cineole and α-terpinyl acetate [33]. C. sativum oil is used in food, perfumery, flavor and
carminative. In medicine, it is used as a powerful aromatic, antiseptic, stimulant, carminative,
stomachic, expectorant, antispasmodic and diuretic [4]. The physiochemical properties of C.
sativum essential oil such as density (25 0C), acid value, ester value, and optical rotation (25 0C)
were found to be 0.8310, 1.4592, 4.0, 23.7 and +11.5 g/cm3 respectively [34] .
2.2 Pharmacological properties and traditional uses:
C. sativum has been reported to possess many pharmacological activities like antioxidant [35],
antidiabetic [36], anti-mutagenic [37], anti-lipidemic [38], anti-spasmodic [39]. The aqueous
extract of C. sativum seed possesses diuretic and saluretic activity [32]. Bhat and his co-workers
reported that C. sativum has high antioxidant activity since it is a good source of polyphenols and
phytochemicals [25]. The leaf of C. sativum contains high concentrations of antioxidants than
seeds.
The antioxidant ability of Coriander is attributed to the high content of pigments specially
carotenoids. In recent years, essential oils have been qualified as natural antioxidants [40]. The
anticonvulsant effects of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of C. sativum seeds were studied in
order to evaluate the folkloric use of this plant species. The aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts
and essential oil of C. sativum seeds possess sedative and hypnotic activity. The well-diffusion
technique was employed. The aqueous infusion and decoction of C. sativum were examined
against 186 gram positive bacterial isolates and two isolates of Candida albicans didn’t show any
antimicrobial activity [34].
The anti-mutagenic activity of C. sativum juice was investigated using the Ames
reversion mutagenicity assay (his- to his+) with the S. typhimurium TA strain as indicator
organism. In vitro anthelmintic activities of crude aqueous and hydro-alcoholic extracts of the

8
seeds of C. sativum (Apiaceae) were investigated on the egg and adult nematode parasite
Haemonchus contortus. Both extract types of C. sativum inhibited hatching of eggs completely
[34].
C. sativum plays a protective role against the deleterious effect in lipid metabolism in
experimental colon cancer. Some of the acids present in C. sativum such as linoleic, oleic,
palmitic, stearic and ascorbic acid are very effective in reducing the cholesterol level in the
blood. They also reduce the cholesterol deposition along the inner walls of the arteries and veins
[41].
C. sativum has metal detoxification ability. It can be used as a natural cleansing agent as
it has potential to remove toxic metals from body. This effect was due to the binding effect of
carboxylic group to mercury. The chemical compounds present in C. sativum attached to toxic
metals and removed them from cells. Bhat and his co-workers observed that this plant is very
effective to remove mercury ion (Hg2+) and methyl mercury (HgCH3) from aqueous solutions
[25]. These results clearly showed that sorbent can be used to remove inorganic and methyl
mercury from contaminated water [42].
2.3 Pharmacological Effects:
2.3.1 Antidepressant effect:
Diethyl ether extract of seeds of Coriandrum sativum showed more significant
antidepressant effect than that of aqueous extract through interaction with adrenergic, dopamine-
ergic and GABA-ergic system [43].
2.3.2 Sedative-hypnotic effects: The aqueous, hydroalcoholic extracts and essential oil of
coriander seeds possessed sedative-hypnotic activity. The aqueous, hydroalcoholic extracts and
essential oil of coriander seeds (100, 200, 400 and 600 mg/kg) were intra peritoneally
administered to male albino mice, 30 minutes before pentobarbital injection (40 mg/kg). Latency
to sleep and sleep duration were recorded. Aqueous extract prolonged pentobarbital-induced
sleeping time at 200, 400 and 600 mg/kg. Hydroalcoholic extract at doses of 400 and 600 mg/kg
increased pentobarbital induced sleeping time compared to saline-treated group. The essential oil
increased pentobarbital-induced sleeping time only at 600 mg/kg [43].
The sleep-prolonging effect of Coriandrum sativum was investigated in mice. The
hydroalcoholic extract (HAE) and its three fractions, water (WF), ethyl acetate (EAF) and N-
butanol (NBF) were prepared from Coriandrum sativum aerial parts and administrated to mice.

9
The HAE, EAF and NBF significantly prolonged sleep duration. Only the NBF was significantly
decreased sleep latency. No decrease in the neuronal surviving was observed either by HAE or
by its fractions. The data indicated that Coriandrum sativum exerted sleep prolonging action
without major neurotoxic effect [44].
2.3.3 Mutagenic and antimutagenic effect:
The mutagenic effects of Coriandrum sativum extract were evaluated by Ames test.
Mutagenicity was present when the Coriandrum sativum extract caused mutagenicity when used
in high concentrations in both Salmonella typhimurium TA97 and TA102 strains. Coriandrum
sativum extract also reduced the cell survival of human cell lines (WRL-68 and 293Q cells) by
inducing apoptosis and necrosis in high concentration. The Coriandrum sativum extract altered
the cell cycle; it increased the G1 phase of hepatic cells and reduced the G2 and M phase in both
cell lines in a dose-response manner. The results showed correlation with a reduction in the
mitotic index. The extract also induced severe malformations during embryonic development.
Exposure of chicken embryos to the Coriandrum sativum extract resulted in a dose-dependent
increase of anomalies. The results show that Coriandrum sativum extract reduced the axial
skeleton and affected the neural tube, the cardiovascular structures, and the eye [45].
The antimutagenic activity of coriander juice against the mutagenic activity of 4-nitro-
ophenylenediamine, m-phenylenediamine and 2-aminofluorene was investigated using the Ames
reversion mutagenicity assay (his- to his+) with the S. typhimurium TA98 strain as indicator
organism. The plant cell/microbe coincubation assay was used as the activating system for
aromatic transformation and plant extract interaction. Aqueous crude coriander juice
significantly decreased the mutagenicity of metabolized aromatic amines (AA) in the following
order: 2-AF (92.43%) > m-PDA (87.14%) > NOP (83.21%). The chlorophyll content in
vegetable juice was monitored and its concentration showed a positive correlation with the
detected antimutagenic effect. The concentration of coriander juice (50-1000
microl/coincubation flasks) was neither toxic nor mutagenic. The similar shape of the
antimutagenic response curves obtained with coriander juice and chlorophyllin (used as a
surrogate molecule of chlorophyll) indicated that comparable mechanisms of mutagenic
inhibition could be involved [46].
The biochemical effects of coriander seeds on lipid parameters in 1, 2-dimethyl hydrazine
(DMH)- induced colon cancer were studied in rats. The results showed that the concentrations of

10
cholesterol and cholesterol to phospholipid ratio decreased while the level of phospholipid was
increased significantly in the DMH control group compared to the spice administered group.
Fecal dry weight, fecal neutral sterols and bile acids showed a sharp increase in the coriander-fed
group compared with the DMH administered group [46, 47].
2.3.4 Diuretic effect:
The acute diuretic activity of aqueous extract of the seed of Coriandrum sativum was
evaluated in rats. The aqueous extract of coriander seed was administered by continuous
intravenous infusion (120 min) at two doses (40 and 100mg/kg) to anesthetized Wistar rats.
Furosemide (10mg/kg), a standard diuretic was used as the reference drug. Excretion of water
and electrolytes (sodium, potassium and chloride) in urine, and glomerular filtration rate (equal
to creatinine clearance) were determined. The crude aqueous extract of coriander seeds increased
diuresis, excretion of electrolytes, and glomerular filtration rate in a dose-dependent way.
Furosemide was more potent as a diuretic and saluretic. The authors concluded that the
mechanism of action of the plant extract appears to be similar to that of furosemide [48].
2.3.5 Effect on fertility:
Effect of the aqueous extract of fresh coriander (Coriandrum sativum) seeds has been
studied on female fertility in rats including the effects on oestrus cycle, implantation, foetal loss,
abortion, teratogenicity and serum progesterone levels on days 5, 12 and 20 of the pregnancy.
The extract at doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg orally produced a dose-dependent significant anti-
implantation effect, but did not produce complete infertility. Treatment of animals during day-8
to day-12 and day-12 to day-20 of the pregnancy did not produce any significant abortifacient
activity. There was no significant change in the weight and length of the foetuses delivered by
rats treated with the extract and no abnormalities were seen in the organs of the offsprings. The
extracts produced a significant decrease in serum progesterone levels on day-5 of pregnancy
which may be responsible for its anti-implantation effect [49].
The present work reports the phytochemical of Coriandrum Sativum Leaves and Seeds.

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