Eryngium foetidum

''Eryngium foetidum'' is a tropical perennial herb in the family Apiaceae. Common names include culantro ( or ), recao, chadon beni (pronounced shadow benny), Mexican coriander, bhandhania, long coriander, sawtooth coriander, and ngò gai. It is native to Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America, but is cultivated worldwide, mostly in the tropics as a perennial, but sometimes in temperate climates as an annual.

In the United States, the common name ''culantro'' sometimes causes confusion with ''cilantro'', a common name for the leaves of ''Coriandrum sativum'' (also in Apiaceae but in a different genus), of which culantro is said to taste like a stronger version.

Uses

Culinary

''Eryngium foetidum'' is widely used in seasoning, marinating and garnishing in the Caribbean, particularly in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, El Salvador, Panama, Costa Rica, Guyana, Suriname, Ecuador, Brazil's and Peru's Amazon regions. It is also used extensively as a culinary herb in Cambodia, Thailand, India, Nepal, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, southwestern China and other parts of tropical Asia.Singh BK, Ramakrishna Y and Ngachan SV. 2014. Spiny coriander (Eryngium foetidum L.): A commonly used, neglected spicing-culinary herb of Mizoram, India. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 61 (6): 1085-1090. It is sometimes used as a substitute for coriander leaves, but has a stronger taste. Contrary to coriander, ''Eryngium foetidum'' dries well, retaining good color and flavor, which makes it valuable in the dried- herb industry.

In the United States, ''E. foetidum'' grows naturally in Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

Traditional medicine

''Eryngium foetidum'' has been used in traditional medicine in tropical regions for burns, earache, fevers, hypertension, constipation, fits, asthma, stomachache, worms, infertility complications, snake bites, diarrhea, and malaria.

''Eryngium foetidum'' is also known as ''E. antihystericum.'' The specific name ''antihystericum'' reflects the fact that this plant has traditionally been used for epilepsy. The plant is said to calm a person's 'spirit' and thus prevents epileptic 'fits', so is known by the common names spiritweed and fitweed. The anticonvulsant properties of this plant have been scientifically investigated. A decoction of the leaves has been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects in rats.

Eryngial is a chemical compound isolated from ''E. foetidum''. The University of the West Indies at Mona, Jamaica, has investigated the use of eryngial as a treatment for human ''Strongyloides stercoralis'' infection ( strongyloidiasis).

It is used as an ethnomedicinal plant for the treatment of a number of ailments such as fevers, chills, vomiting, burns, fevers, hypertension, headache, earache, stomachache, asthma, arthritis, snake bites, scorpion stings, diarrhea, malaria and epilepsy. The main constituent of essential oil of the plant is eryngial (E-2-dodecenal). A pharmacological investigation claims to have demonstrated anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anticonvulsant, anticlastogenic, anticarcinogenic, antidiabetic, and antibacterial activity.

Chemistry

Qualitative analysis of the leaves demonstrated the presence of tannins and saponin, as well as some flavonoids; no alkaloids have been reported yet. Caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid (CGA), and kaempferol have been among the phenolic compounds found in ''E. foetidum'' leaves.

See also

* Cuban cuisine
* Cuisine of the Dominican Republic
* List of culinary herbs and spices
* Mizo cuisine
* Puerto Rican cuisine
* Thai cuisine
* Trinidad and Tobago cuisine
* Vietnamese cuisine

References

External links

*
Long coriander (''Eryngium foetidum'' L.) page
from Gernot Katzer's Spice Pages

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1146782

Edible Apiaceae
Herbs
Medicinal plants of Central America
Medicinal plants of North America
Medicinal plants of South America
foetidum
Plants described in 1753
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus