Cilantro leaf harbors a potent potassium channel-activating anticonvulsant.

ABSTRACT: Herbs have a long history of use as folk medicine anticonvulsants, yet the underlying mechanisms often remain unknown. Neuronal voltage-gated potassium channel subfamily Q (KCNQ) dysfunction can cause severe epileptic encephalopathies that are resistant to modern anticonvulsants. Here we report that cilantro (Coriandrum sativum), a widely used culinary herb that also exhibits antiepileptic and other therapeutic activities, is a highly potent KCNQ channel activator. Screening of cilantro leaf metabolites revealed that one, the long-chain fatty aldehyde (E)-2-dodecenal, activates multiple KCNQs, including the predominant neuronal isoform, KCNQ2/KCNQ3 [half maximal effective concentration (EC₅₀), 60 ± 20 nM], and the predominant cardiac isoform, KCNQ1 in complexes with the t

SUBMITTER: Manville RW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6766653 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature