Parsley: a review of ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and biological activities

OBJECTIVE: To summarize comprehensive information concerning ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological activities of parsley. METHODS: Databases including PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science were searched for studies focusing on the ethnomedicinal use, phytochemical compounds and biological and pharmacological activities of parsley. Data were collected from 1966 to 2013. The search terms were: Parsley or Petroselinum crispum or Petroselinum hortence. RESULTS: Parsley has been used as carminative, gastro tonic, diuretic, antiseptic of urinary tract, anti-urolithiasis, anti-dote and anti-inflammatory and for the treatment of amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, gastrointestinal disorder, hypertension, cardiac disease, urinary disease, otitis, sniffle, diabetes and also various dermal disease in traditional and folklore medicines. Phenolic compounds and flavonoids particularly apigenin, apiin and 6 ''-Acetylapiin; essential oil mainly myristicin and apiol; and also coumarins are the active compounds identified in Petroselinum crispum. Wide range of pharmacological activity including antioxidant, hepatoprotective, brain protective, anti-diabetic, analgesic, spasmolytic, immunosuppressant, anti-platelet, gastroprotective, cytoprotective, laxative, estrogenic, diuretic; hypotensive, antibacterial and antifungal activities have been exhibited for this plant in modern medicine. CONCLUSION: It is expectant that this study resulted in improvement the tendencies toward Petroselinum crispum as a useful and important medicinal plant with wide range of proven medicinal activity. (C) 2013 JTCM. All rights reserved.