Friday, August 26, 2011

Coriander oil could be used to cure Food Poisoning & Superbugs

An aromatic plant, coriander is extensively used in Mediterranean and Indian cuisine. Oil extracted from the seeds of the coriander plant is the most used essential oil and has been shown to be deadly to a wide range of harmful bacteria. Coriander oil is already utilized as a food additive and offers numerous health benefits, including pain relief, cure of nausea, ease of cramps and convulsions, improves digestion and treats number of fungal infections. A recent study has found that coriander oil could be used to cure a host of infections including food poisoning and superbugs.

Coriander oil could be used to cure food poisoning & superbugs
Use of coriander oil in foods could prevent food-borne illnesses and has a potential to be a natural alternative to common antibiotics, a study has found. The researchers of the University of Beira Interior in Portugal found that coriander oil is effective against many bacterial strains, including Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Bacillus cereus. When the researchers tested all these strains, all have showed reduction in growth, and most of them were killed, by the solution containing 1.6% coriander oil or less.

A study published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology not only illustrates that coriander oil also has an antibacterial property, but also provides a clarification regarding its working, which was not understood formerly. The coriander herb extract is resistant to an array of toxic bacteria which are responsible for infections. The researchers recommend that coriander oil could have essential applications in the medical and food industries.

Every year, more than one million people suffer from food poisoning in the UK, leading to around 500 deaths and 20,000 people requiring hospital care, as per the Food Standards Agency. The author of the study, Dr. Fernanda Domingues said that coriander oil could assist the millions of people who suffer from food-borne illnesses each year.

Coriander oil works by disrupting the barrier between the cell membrane and its environment and thus inhibits crucial processes including respiration, which eventually leads to the death of the bacterial cell. However, more research is required about how to develop it in a drug. We can predict the use of coriander in clinical form such as mouth rinses, lotions and even pills; to battle against multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. This would considerably improve quality of life of the people.

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Twitter Delicious Facebook Digg Stumbleupon Favorites More