New Research Tells Why Cilantro Helps Delay Seizures
Traditional medicine records document the historical use of cilantro (also known as coriander) as an anticonvulsant. A study published in the FASEB Journal, conducted by researchers at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine and supported by the National Institutes of Health, identified a molecular mechanism underlying this traditional application. Researchers found that cilantro acts as a KCNQ potassium channel activator.
Specifically, screening of cilantro leaf metabolites revealed that a long-chain fatty aldehyde, (E)-2-dodecenal, activates multiple potassium channels, including isoforms responsible for regulating electrical activity in the brain and heart. The study reported that dodecenal binds to a specific part of these potassium channels to open them, reducing cellular excitability and delaying chemically induced seizures in laboratory models.