Exploring the toxicity profile of coriander ( C. sativum L.) essential oil: implications for translational toxicological research

• Published in: Drug and chemical toxicology (New York, N.Y. 1978) Vol. 48; no. 3; p. 586
• Main Authors: Barbosa, David H X, Alves, Danielle da N, Andrade, Patrícia N, Sobral, Marianna V, Castro, Isione Oliveira, Araujo, Gleycyelly R, Alencar, Severino M de, Spada, Fernanda P, Santos, André A Dos, Rosalen, Pedro L, Castro, Ricardo D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 04.05.2025
• Subjects: Animals; Cell Survival - drug effects; Coriandrum; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Erythrocytes - drug effects; Female; Garlic - chemistry; HaCaT Cells; Humans; Keratinocytes - drug effects; Keratinocytes - pathology; Larva - drug effects; Male; Mice; Micronucleus Tests; Moths - drug effects; Oils, Volatile - isolation & purification; Oils, Volatile - toxicity; genotoxicity; cytotoxicity tests; Toxicology; Coriandrum; essential oil
• ISSN: 1525-6014
• DOI: 10.1080/01480545.2024.2397708

The plant species L. is a staple in cuisine and holds significant ethnopharmacological value. Its essential oil (EO) is of particular interest, yet its toxicity profile remains a subject of inquiry. This study aimed to elucidate the chemical constituents of L. EO and evaluate its toxicity through various parameters, including cytotoxicity assays on HaCaT keratinocytes, toxicity tests on larvae, genotoxicity assessments on mice and cytotoxicity assays on human erythrocytes. Notably, major constituents such as 2-decen-1-ol, dec-(2E)-enal, and 1,6-octadien-3-ol were found to remain predominant. The IC value for the essential oil on the keratinocyte cell line was determined to be 60.13 ± 2.02 µg/mL. However, toxicity tests with larvae demonstrated safety at doses below 4.5 g/kg. Additionally, genotoxicity assessment revealed that a single dose of 20 mg/mL (5 mg/kg) did not induce a significant increase in micronuclei formation. EO concentrations above 250 µg/mL led to significant changes in human erythrocytes cell viability (  < 0.0001), resulting in over 60% hemolysis. These findings collectively suggest that the essential oil of L. exhibits a suitable toxicity profile for conducting preclinical studies in vertebrate animal models.