Planta Med 2012; 78 - P_11
DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1307519

Quantitative Analysis of (E)-2-Dodecenal in Cilantro Leaves in Different Times of Drying

MA Donega 1, CL Cantrell 2, RM Moraes 3, SC Mello 1
  • 1ESALQ, Department of Crop Production, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Padua Dias, 11– CEP:13418–900, Piracicaba-SP, Brazil
  • 2USDA-ARS, Natural Products Utilization Research Unit, P.O. Box 8048, University, MS 38677, USA
  • 3National Center for Natural Products Research, School of Pharmacy, University of Mississippi, University 38677, USA

Coriandrum sativum L., also known as Cilantro, belongs to the Apiaceae family. This annual aromatic herb has been cultivated worldwide and used as a spice and herbal medicine. Although all parts are edible, the leaves and seeds are mostly consumed for culinary applications. The unique flavor and aroma are appealing to consumers. Leaves are sold fresh, frozen or dried. To evaluate the quality of dried cilantro based on aroma, (E)-2-dodecenal the major compound, was quantified in fresh and dried leaves. Leaves were dried in an air dryer at 40°C for 0, 3, 6 and 9 days and the essential oil was extracted by hydro-distillation following the method described in [1]. The experimental design was completely randomized with three repetitions. Tukey's test showed that fresh leaves had a higher percentage of (E)-2-dodecenal than the other treatments (Figure 1).

Fig. 1

Acknowledgements: Thanks to CAPES and CNPq, for a Doctor's Degree scholarship granted to the first author. References: [1] Potter TL (1996) Agricultural and Food Chem 44: 1824–1826.