New Research Tells Why Cilantro Helps Delay Seizures

A recent research study offers potentially good news for some people that suffer from seizures.

Practitioners of traditional medicine and herbology have used cilantro for centuries as a treatment for seizures and as an anticonvulsant, but now research is finding out why it works.

It turns out that there’s a molecular action that helps cilantro delay seizures in those with epilepsy and other seizure disorders. This is because cilantro is a highly potent KCNQ channel activator. Researchers think that this discovery could lead to more effective medications for and treatments for seizure disorders.

This important research was supported by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of General Medicine Sciences.

According to the report on Futurity.com, “Researchers screened cilantro leaf metabolites, revealing that one—the long-chain fatty aldehyde (E)-2-dodecenal—activates multiple potassium channels including the predominant neuronal isoform and the predominant cardiac isoform, which are responsible for regulating electrical activity in the brain and heart. This metabolite was also found to recapitulate the anticonvulsant action of cilantro, delaying certain chemically-induced seizures. The results provide a molecular basis for the therapeutic actions of cilantro and indicate that this ubiquitous culinary herb is surprisingly influential upon clinically important potassium channels.”

The findings were published in FASEB Journal:

“We discovered that cilantro, which has been used as a traditional anticonvulsant medicine, activates a class of potassium channels in the brain to reduce seizure activity,” says Geoff Abbott, professor of physiology and biophysics at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine and principal investigator on the study.

“Specifically, we found one component of cilantro, called dodecenal, binds to a specific part of the potassium channels to open them, reducing cellular excitability. This specific discovery is important as it may lead to more effective use of cilantro as an anticonvulsant, or to modifications of dodecenal to develop safer and more effective anticonvulsant drugs.”

Be sure to check out the full description of Cilantro (called Coriander in the UK) for the complete information about its beneficial uses.

Resource Links

Futurity: Scientist Now Know How Cilantro Works Against Seizures

FASEB Journal: Cilantro leaf harbors a potent potassium channel–activating anticonvulsant

UCI School of Medicine: New study explains the molecular mechanism for the therapeutic effects of cilantro