Chemical, Functional, and Nutritional Properties of Coriander (Coriandrum Sativum)

Coriander is a plant common to several countries. Its use is associated with traditional medicine due to its functional and therapeutic properties. However, more and more coriander has been used in various sectors, such as food, medicine, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Given the importance of this plant, this chapter aims to present the main chemical, functional and nutritional characteristics in addition to the main applications of coriander. The different parts of coriander have several bioactive components, such as monoterpenes, alkanes, aldehydes, alcohols, pigments, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, and saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Because of its composition, coriander has numerous functional and nutritional properties such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, antibiofilm, antidiabetic, anxiolytic, and antidepressant activity, among others. Applications range from studying the impact on microorganisms to improving animal diets and extract preparations. Therefore, it can be said that coriander is a plant with multiple applications, and its nutritional potential should be increasingly explored to promote health benefits.