CELERY SEED
Source: Apium graveolensL. (Family Um-
belliferae or Apiaceae).
Common name:Celery fruit and celery seed.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
An erect biennial herb, up to about 1 m high;
native to southern Europe; extensively culti-
vated. There are many varieties.Apium grave-
olensvar.dulce(Mill.) Pers. yields the celery
vegetable that is its leafstalk (petiole), and
A.graveolensvar.rapaceum(Mill.) Gaudich.,
the turniprooted celery, yields celeriac. The
seeds (dried ripe fruits) used for oil production
or as spices are produced from other varieties.
Major seed-producing countries are France
and India. Celery seed oil is obtained by steam
distillation of the whole or crushed seeds in
about 2–3% yield. An oleoresin and extracts
are also prepared by extracting the seeds with
solvents.
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
Celery seed contains coumarins (aprigravin,
celerin, osthenol) and coumarin glycosides,
including bergapten, apiumoside, apiumetin,
vellein, celereoin, nodakenin, and celereoside
(WICHTL);^1 also, pthalide glycosides (celeph-
talides A–C), sesquiterpenoid glucosides (cel-
eriosides A–E),^2 phthalides (senkyunolide-J
and -N), 3^0 -methoxy apiin, tryptophan, and
others.^3
Major components of the oil ared-limo-
nene (ca. 60%) and other limonene-type
terpenes4selinene (ca. 10%), and about 3%
phthalides. Other constituents include santa-
lol,a- andb-eudesmol, dihydrocarvone, and
fattyacids(linoleic,palmitic,petroselinic,stea-
ric, oleic acids, etc.), among others (JIANGSU;
LIST AND HO ̈RHAMMER).5–11
The phthalides are the odoriferous princi-
ples and consist mostly of 3-n-butyl phthalide,
sedanenolide(3-n-butyl-4,5-dihydrophthalide),
sedanolide, and sedanonic anhydride, with
several others in minor amounts.7–9
Celery seed oleoresin contains more odor-
iferous principles and less terpenes; it also
contains apiin and other flavonoids (JIANGSU).PHARMACOLOGY AND BIOLOGICAL
ACTIVITIESIn vitroinhibition of proinflammatory chemi-
cal messengers (COX-1 and -2 and of topo-
isomerase-I and -II) was found from various
constituents of the seeds (sedanolide, senkyu-
nolide-J, senkyunolide-N, 3^0 -methoxy apiin,
and tryptophan), the latter two also showing
in vitroantioxidant activity.^3
In rat models of acute inflammation and
chronicarthriticinflammation,oraladministra-
tion of extracts (alcohol and supercritical fluid)
of wild, green celery seed suppressed NSAID-
and ethanol-induced gastric injury, whereas
against ibuprofen-induced gastrotoxicity, most
commercial flavorant celery seed oils (derived
from aged, brown seeds) were inactive.^12 A
similar outcome was found from celery seed
products in a rat model of polyarthritis, some
being effective anti-inflammatories (notably
one made from wild, green seeds), whereas the
majority were ineffective.^13
Hepatoprotective activity in rats was found
from oral administration of methanol extracts
of celery seeds against chemically induced
liver toxicity.14,15
Phthalides (sedanolide and 3-n-butyl
phthalide) present in celery seed oil have
shown tumor-inhibiting activity and glutathi-
one-inducing activity from oral administra-
tion in mice.^4 Sedative activities in mice from
phthalides in the seed oil have also been
reported.^7 3-n-Butyl phthalide has shown an-
ticonvulsant effects in experimental chronic
epilepsy induced by coriaria lactone in rats.
Its anticonvulsant effects were weaker than
those of diazepam, but its ability to counteract
the learning and memory impairment caused
by coriaria lactone was greater than that of
diazepam, causing no damage to brain
cells.16,17It also has low acute and chronicCelery seed 165