Carotenoid content, its stability during drying and the antioxidant activity of commercial coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) varieties

Coriander, also popular as Cilantro or Chinese Parsley, is an aromatic annual herb (of Apiaceae or Umbelliferae) cultivated for its seeds and foliage which are used all over the world as culinary spice, flavoring agent and for its various medicinal/aromatic applications. The foliage is a very good source of phytochemicals such as vitamin C (160 mg/100 g FW), vitamin A (β-carotene 12 mg/100 g FW) (Girenko, 1982) and Vitamin B12 (60 mg/100 g) (Prakash, 1990), polyphenols, and essential oils. Coriander, like many spices, contains antioxidants which can delay or prevent the spoilage of food seasoned with this spice and also provide such protections upon its ingestion. Most of the studies in coriander have been focused on its seeds (Dhanapakiam, Joseph, Ramaswamy, Moorthi, & Kumar, 2008; Srinivasan, 2005), and very little attention is paid to the constituents in leaves (Aruna & Baskaran, 2010), although foliage is popular for their versatile use in various types of foods.

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