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We often consume a wide variety of herbs, be it in the dried form or even in the fresh form. Cilantro, out of the lot is often one of the most appreciated herbs because of the kind of impacts it has on one’s health. It is very important to ensure that you do take the time out to know about the therapeutic benefits of this herb because even a new study suggests so.
A new study (R) conducted by the researchers from the University of California – Irvine suggested saying that herbs like cilantro has been touted to have beneficial impacts as anticonvulsants since way back in history. The only problem till now was the fact that the scientists didn’t know the mode of mechanism that was involved behind the same.
In this new conducted study, the researchers did unravel the molecular action which is responsible for the cilantro to impose beneficial impacts that help in delaying the seizures which is quite common in conditions associated with epilepsy as well as the other diseases associated.
The study was published in FASEB Journal has been touted to have amazing impacts in helping make us understand the molecular action of the cilantro as a very potent activator of KCNQ channel. This new finding is expected to help garner better insights into the possible treatments and the development of the drugs associated with the recovery of such conditions.
Geoff Abbott, PhD, professor of physiology and biophysics at the UCI School of Medicine, who is also the lead author and investigator of the study suggested saying that the cilantro which has been used as a potent remedy for the condition as the anticonvulsants has been found to activate a class of potassium channels present in the brain that has been found to have beneficial impacts in reducing the seizure active altogether.
Prof Abbott further stated saying that they found a specific compound in cilantro, dodecenal, which has been found to end up binding to certain parts of the potassium channels to help in opening them. This ends up reducing the cellular excitability of the channel involved. This is one of the ground breaking finding, mainly because of the fact that this specific study can pave the further way to deducing the more therapeutic benefits of cilantro as an anticonvulsant. This will further help in the development of the specific drugs involved in this condition even more so.
Upon screening of the cilantro leaf metabolites, the researchers found that it is the long-chain fatty aldehyde (E)-2-dodecenal in the leaves which is responsible for the activation of the multiple potassium channels which does include the predominant neuronal isoform along with the predominant cardiac isoform, the function of these include the regulation of the heart and brain activity.
Apart from that, this specific metabolite was also found to have impacts in recapitulating the overall anticonvulsant function of the cilantro. This has been found to have beneficial impacts in delaying some of the chemically induced seizures altogether.
The results in completion provide with a better outlook on the molecular basis dependent on the therapeutic benefits of the cilantro and does imply for a fact that this specific herb does have beneficial impacts on the involved potassium channels around in the brain.
Concluding everything, Prof. Abott further stated saying that it isn’t just the anticonvulsant properties of the cilantro that imposes beneficial impacts on the body, it has also been found to have amazing impacts in terms of the anticancer, antimicrobial as well as in boosting the overall digestive functions as well.