Parsley- Petroselinum Crispum

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Introduction
Parsley, Petroselinum crispum is an herb used for a large myriad of medical conditions such as urinary tract infections, kidney stones, gastrointestinal disorders, constipations, jaundice, flatulence, indigestion, colic, diabetes, bronchitic cough, asthma, oedema, osteoarthritis, anemia, hypertension prostate and spleen conditions (1, 2). Parsley contains volatile oils, carotenoids, vitamins B1, B2, C and K (1, 2). The volatile oil component could be further broken down into apiole, myristicin, furanocaumarins, phenyl propanoids, phanthalides, tocopherol, ascorbic acid and various terpenoic compounds (1, 3-5). The volatile oil compounds allow parsley to induce a range of medical effects such as antimicrobial, antirheumatic, appetite stimulation, antispasmodic, digestive, laxative, antihypertensive, diuretic effects, hypouricemic, anti-oxidative, and estrogenic activities (1-3, 5, 6).
Parsley has long been traditionally used as a diuretic in folk medicine (1, 7). Despite its use and widespread reputation as a diuretic agent, scientific proof of its function was not available until it was demonstrated in the works of Kreydiyyeh et al. in 2002 (7). The demonstration involved the application of rat models that were offered an aqueous parsley seed extract and drinking water. Ending with results of significantly increased urine flow rates for rats that had taken the parsley seed extract over drinking water in a time frame of 24 hours, parsley as a diuretic agent was recognized scientifically (7).
Parsley used as a diuretic is better described by its aquaretic effect in which urine volume is increased but sodium excretion remains unchanged (1, 2). Apiole and myristicin are the two main components responsible for the aquares...

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...rsley (Petroselinum crispum) intake on urinary apigenin excretion, blood antioxidant enzymes and biomarkers for oxidative stress in human subjects. The British journal of nutrition. 1999 Jun;81(6):447-55. PubMed PMID: 10615220. Epub 2000/01/01. eng.
5. Robbers J, Tyler VE. Tyler's Herbs of Choice: The Therapeutic Use of Phytomedicinals: Taylor & Francis; 1999.
6. Kreydiyyeh SI, Usta J, Kaouk I, Al-Sadi R. The mechanism underlying the laxative properties of parsley extract. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology. 2001 Sep;8(5):382-8. PubMed PMID: 11695882. Epub 2001/11/07. eng.
7. Kreydiyyeh SI, Usta J. Diuretic effect and mechanism of action of parsley. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2002 3//;79(3):353-7.
8. Khan IA, Abourashed EA. Leung's Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients: Used in Food, Drugs and Cosmetics: Wiley; 2011.

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