Spiny coriander (Eryngium foetidum L.): a commonly used, neglected spicing-culinary herb of Mizoram, India

Abstract

Spiny coriander (Eryngium foetidum L.) is a leafy spice herb of tropical regions of world (America, South Asia, Pacific Islands, South Europe and Africa) which is used extensively for garnishing, marinating, flavouring and seasoning of foods. It is also used as an ethno-medicinal 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). However, a significant variation in the plant morphology, composition of essential oil (60 constituents reported) and secondary metabolites resulted from genetic variability and geographic location. Pharmacological investigations have demonstrated anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-convulsant, anti-clastogenic, anti-carcinogenic, anti-diabetic and anti-bacterial activity. Focus on holistic research approaches such as genetic enhancement to develop high yielding varieties (collection, conservation, evaluation, breeding and development of potential genotypes); efficient production technologies to harvest the plants in mass (cultivation under 50–75 % shed-net and spray of gibberellic acid at a concentration of 100 ppm); post-harvest management to minimize marketing loss; and medicinal/pharmaceutical investigations would be the best strategies to increase the yield and to promote industrial uses of E. foetidum as an economically relevant crop.