Online Submissions: http://www.journaltcm.com J Tradit Chin Med 2013 December 15; 33(6): 815-826 [email protected] ISSN 0255-2922 © 2013 JTCM. All rights reserved. REVIEWTOPIC Parsley: a review of ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and bio- logical activities Mohammad Hosein Farzaei, Zahra Abbasabadi, Mohammad Reza Shams Ardekani, Roja Rahimi, Fatemeh Farzaei aa Mohammad Hosein Farzaei, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kerman- num hortence". shah University of Medical Science, Kermanshah 6734667149, Iran; Department of Traditional Pharmacy, Fac- RESULTS: Parsley has been used as carminative, ulty of Traditional Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sci- gastro tonic, diuretic, antiseptic of urinary tract, an- ence, Tehran 1417653761, Iran ti-urolithiasis, anti-dote and anti-inflammatory and Zahra Abbasabadi, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kermanshah Uni- for the treatment of amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, versity of Medical Science, Kermanshah 6734667149, Iran gastrointestinal disorder, hypertension, cardiac dis- Mohammad Reza Shams Ardekani, Department of Tradi- tional Pharmacy, Faculty of Traditional Medicine, Tehran Uni- ease, urinary disease, otitis, sniffle, diabetes and al- versity of Medical Science, Tehran 1417653761, Iran; Depart- so various dermal disease in traditional and folklore ment of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran Uni- medicines. Phenolic compounds and flavonoids versity of Medical Science, Tehran 1417653761, Iran particularly apigenin, apiin and 6"-Acetylapiin; es- Roja Rahimi, Department of Traditional Pharmacy, Faculty sential oil mainly myristicin and apiol; and also cou- of Traditional Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sci- marins are the active compounds identified in ence, Tehran 1417653761, Iran Petroselinum crispum. Wide range of pharmacolog- Fatemeh Farzaei, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kerman- ical activity including antioxidant, hepatoprotec- shah Razi University, Kermanshah 6715685414, Iran Correspondence to: Prof. Roja Rahimi, Department of Tra- tive, brain protective, anti-diabetic, analgesic, spas- ditional Pharmacy, Faculty of Traditional Medicine, Tehran molytic, immunosuppressant, anti-platelet, gastro- University of Medical Science, Tehran 1417653761, Iran. ro- protective, cytoprotective, laxative, estrogenic, di- [email protected] uretic, hypotensive, antibacterial and antifungal ac- Telephone: +98-2166412653 tivities have been exhibited for this plant in mod- Accepted: August 12, 2013 ern medicine. CONCLUSION: It is expectant that this study result- ed in improvement the tendencies toward Petrose- Abstract linum crispum as a useful and important medicinal OBJECTIVE: To summarize comprehensive informa- plant with wide range of proven medicinal activity. tion concerning ethnomedicinal uses, phytochem- istry, and pharmacological activities of parsley. © 2013 JTCM. All rights reserved. METHODS: Databases including PubMed, Scopus, Key word: Petroselinum; Jafari; Medicine, tradition- Google Scholar, and Web of Science were searched al; Pharmacological processes; Chemistry for studies focusing on the ethnomedicinal use, phytochemical compounds and biological and INTRODUCTION pharmacological activities of parsley. Data were col- lected from 1966 to 2013. The search terms were: Petroselinum crispum (mill.) Nym.ex A.W. Hill and in "Parsley" or "Petroselinum crispum" or "Petroseli- some region Petroselinum hortence Hoffm. From the JTCM | www. journaltcm. com 815 December 15, 2013 |Volume 33 | Issue 6 | Farzaei MH et al. / Review family Umbeliferae, are commonly known as parsley. icine, Petroselinum crispum seeds have been claimed to The origin of parsley is from Mediterranean region, be antimicrobial, antiseptic, astringent, gastrotonic, an- but today is cultivated wherever of the world. Parsley is tidote, antispasmodic, carminative, digestive and seda- biennial and glabrous. Its height is 60 to 100 cm, nu- tive and is used for gastrointestinal disorder, inflamma- merous stems grow from one root. Roots are thin or tion, halitosis, kidney stone, and amenorrhoea.2-6 thick fusiform to tuberous and vertical. The leaves are Leaves also are employed as food flavor and antitussive tripinnate and ovate. Inflorescences are long pedicled, and used for gastrointestinal disorder, exanthema, der- terminal, with yellowish umbels. The involucre possess- matitis, alphosis, macula, headcool, sniffle, vision per- es one or two bracts. The petals are splayed with a formance, hemorrhoid, kidney stone, diuretic and oti- curved tip. The style thickening is very developed. The tis.4-6 The leaves also possess anticoagulant and abortifa- fruit is orbicular ovate and greenish-gray, with 2.5 mm cient activity and are useful in skin disease, hyperten- length.1 Moreover than its widely use as a green vegeta- sion, hyperlipidemia, hepatotoxic, diabetes, cardiac ble and garnish, it is used for different medicinal pur- disease, renal disease, lumbago, eczema, nose bleed, poses in traditional and folklore medicine of different amenorrhoea, dysmenorrhea, kidney stones, prostati- countries. Various compounds from different phyto- tis, halitosis, anaemia, hypertension, hyperuricaemia, chemical categories have been identified in Parsley. Al- constipation, odontalgy, pain, baldness, urinary tract so, different pharmacological activities have been attrib- disease, fluid retention and urinary tract infections in uted to this plant. The present review summarizes com- ethnomedicine of other countries.7-16 The seeds showed prehensive information concerning ethnomedicinal us- diuretic and carminative activity and are useful in gas- es, phytochemistry, and pharmacological activities of tritis.17,18 parsley. For this purpose, databases including PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science were Phytochemical constituents searched for studies focusing on the ethnomedicinal Table 2 shows the structure and phytochemical cate- use, phytochemical compounds and biological and gory of compounds isolated from different parts of pharmacological activities of parsley. Data were collect- parsley. ed from 1966 to 2013 (up to June). The search terms were: "Parsley" or "Petroselinum crispum" or "Petroseli- Flavonoids num hortence". There was no language restriction. The Flavonoids are dominant compounds of this plant.19 reference list from retrieved articles was also reviewed Flavonoids including Apigenin, luteolin, chrysoeriol, for additional applicable studies. All published studies quercetin and isorhamnetin were detected in cell sus- as well as abstracts presented at meetings were evaluat- pension cultures of Petroselinum hortence.20 Flavo- ed. In vitro, in vivo and human studies were separated noids apigenin, cosmosiin, oxypeucedanin hydrate and and the data from each was extracted in individual ta- apiin were detected from aqueous extract of Petroseli- bles. num crispum leaves.21 6"-Acetylapiin, a flavone glyco- side, and petroside, its monoterpene glucoside, were Ethnomedicinal uses isolated for the first time from methanol extract of Ethnomedicinal uses of parsley in different countries Petroselinum crispum aerial part. Myristicin, apiol, cni- have been shown in Table 1. In traditional Iranian med- dilin, isoimperatorin, diosmetin, 7-O- -D-glucopyran- β Table 1 Ethnomedicinal uses of Petroselinum crispum Region Plant part (s) used Traditional uses and ethnobotanical reports Antimicrobial, antiseptic, antispasmodic and sedative, gastrointestinal disorder and carminative, di- Iran Seeds2-6 gestive, astringent, gastrotonic, inflammation, antidote, halitosis, kidney stone and amenorrhoea Food flavor, exanthema, alphosis, macula, headcool, sniffle, otitis, antitussive, diuretic, kidney stone, Leaf 4-6 hemorrhoid, gastrointestinal disorder, vision performance and dermatitis Iraq Leaf 7 Skin disease Leaf 8,9 Turkey Anticoagulant, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, hepatotoxic and diabetes Seeds17 Diuretic China Leaf36 Food flavor Arterial hypertension, diabetes, cardiac disease, renal disease, lumbago, high blood pressure, eczema, Morocco Leaf 10-13 and nose bleed Amenorrhoea, dysmenorrhea, kidney stones Spain Leaf 14 Prostatitis, diabetes , halitosis, abortion, anaemia , hypertension, hyperuricaemia, constipation, odon- talgy, pain, baldness Italy Aerial part15 Abortifacient Peru Seeds18 Carminative and gastritis Urinary tract disease, fluid retention and Serbia Leaf 16 urinary tract infections JTCM | www. journaltcm. com 816 December 15, 2013 |Volume 33 | Issue 6 | Farzaei MH et al. / Review Table 2 Phytochemical constituents of parsley Compound Chemical category Part/extract Apigenin Flavonoid Leaf/aqueous extract21 Cell suspension cultures of Petroselinum hortense20 Leaf23 Luteolin Flavonoid Cell suspension cultures of Petroselinum hortense20 Chrysoeriol Flavonoid Cell suspension cultures of Petroselinum hortense20 Quercetin Flavonoid Cell suspension cultures of Petroselinum hortense20 Isorhamnetin Flavonoid Cell suspension cultures of Petroselinum hortense20 Apiose Hydrocarbon Cell suspension cultures of Petroselinum hortense20 Seed, stem and leaf of Petroselinum crispum24 Petroside Hydrocarbon Aerial part/methanol extract22 Cosmosiin Flavonoid glycoside leaf/aqueous extract21 Oxypeucedanin hydrate Flavonoid leaf/aqueous extract21 Apiin Flavonoid glycoside leaf/aqueous extract21 6"-Acetylapiin Flavone glycoside Aerial part/methanol extract22 Cnidilin Flavonoid Aerial part/methanol extract22 Diosmetin Flavone glycoside Aerial part/methanol extract22 7-O- -D-glucopyranoside Kaempferolβ Flavone glycoside Aerial part/methanol extract22 3-O- -D-glucopyranoside