Parsley： a review of ethnopharmacology,phytochemistry and bio- logical activities

OBJECTIVE： To summarize comprehensive informa- tion concerning ethnomedicinal uses, phytochem- istry, 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 col- lected from 1966 to 2013. The search terms were： ＂Parsley＂ or ＂Petroselinum crispum＂ or ＂Petroseli-num hortence＂. RESULTS： Parsley has been used as carminative, gastro tonic, diuretic, antiseptic of urinary tract, an- ti-urolithiasis, anti-dote and anti-inflammatory and for the treatment of amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, gastrointestinal disorder, hypertension, cardiac dis- ease, urinary disease, otitis, sniffle, diabetes and al- so various dermal disease in traditional and folklore medicines. Phenolic compounds and flavonoids particularly apigenin, apiin and 6-Acetylapiin, es- sential oil mainly myristicin and apiol, and also cou- marins are the active compounds identified in Petroselinum crispum. Wide range of pharmacolog- ical activity including antioxidant, hepatoprotec- tive, brain protective, anti-diabetic, analgesic, spas- molytic, immunosuppressant, anti-platelet, gastro- protective, cytoprotective, laxative, estrogenic, di- uretic, hypotensive, antibacterial and antifungal ac- tivities have been exhibited for this plant in mod- ern medicine. CONCLUSION： It is expectant that this study result- ed in improvement the tendencies toward Petrose- linum crispum as a useful and important medicinal plant with wide range of proven medicinal activity.