Vet World   Vol.18   September-2025  Article - 4 

Pharmacological and molecular insights into linalool-rich Coriandrum sativum essential oil: Anticonvulsant, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant potential in rodent models

Juan Pedro Rojas-Armas¹ , Jorge Luis Arroyo-Acevedo¹ , Miriam Palomino-Pacheco² , José Manuel Ortiz-Sánchez³ , Hugo Jesús Justil-Guerrero¹ , Jaime Teodocio Martínez-Heredia¹ , María Elena Salazar-Salvatierra⁴ , Mariano Gallo Ruelas⁵ , and Richard Junior Zapata Dongo⁶

Background and Aim: Coriandrum sativum L. (coriander) has long been valued for its culinary and medicinal uses. C. sativum essential oil (CsEO), particularly linalool-rich chemotypes, exhibits diverse biological activities; however, integrated evalu­ations encompassing neurological, inflammatory, and molecular targets remain limited. This study aimed to chemically characterize Peruvian CsEO and assess its anticonvulsant, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects, alongside those of pure linalool, while elucidating potential mechanisms through cytokine modulation and molecular docking of cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes.

Materials and Methods: CsEO was extracted from Peruvian coriander seeds through steam distillation and analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Antioxidant activity was quantified using the 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenz­thiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) assay. Anticonvulsant effects were tested in BALB/c mice using the pentylenetetrazole-induced seizure model, analgesic activity through the acetic acid-induced writhing test, and anti-inflammatory effects in Holtzman rats using the carrageenan-induced paw edema model. Serum interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Molecular docking evaluated linalool’s binding affinity to COX-1 and COX-2 relative to standard non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Results: GC-MS identified linalool as the major constituent (59.80%), alongside α-pinene (8.65%), camphor (8.48%), and γ-terpinene (7.09%). CsEO demonstrated potent antioxidant activity (half-maximal inhibitory concentration [IC50] = 32.04 μg/mL), exceeding that of linalool alone (IC50 = 152.29 μg/mL). Significant anticonvulsant effects occurred at 200 mg/kg for both CsEO and linalool, increasing seizure latency by up to 87.20% and reducing seizure frequency by ~43%. In analgesic assays, linalool (200 mg/kg) achieved a 93.80% writhing reduction, comparable to tramadol, while CsEO showed strong but slightly lower efficacy. CsEO (200 mg/kg) inhibited carrageenan-induced edema by 51.35% at 4 h, reduced IL-1β by 49.8%, and IL-6 by 26.5%, effects comparable to ibuprofen. Docking revealed moderate linalool affinity for COX-1 (−5.70 kcal/mol) and COX-2 (−6.10 kcal/mol), sharing key hydrophobic interactions with reference drugs.

Conclusion: Peruvian CsEO, characterized by a distinctive linalool-rich chemotype, exhibits significant multi-target pharma­cological activities, with synergistic contributions from minor constituents enhancing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Its integrated efficacy profile and favorable safety indicators highlight CsEO as a promising phytotherapeutic candi­date for managing seizures, pain, and inflammation. Further studies should explore chronic models, pharmacokinetics, and formulation strategies to optimize clinical applicability.

Keywords: analgesic, anticonvulsant, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, Coriandrum sativum, cytokines, essential oil, linalool, molecular docking.

How to cite this article: Rojas-Armas JP, Arroyo-Acevedo JL, Palomino-Pacheco M, Ortiz-Sánchez JM, Justil-Guerrero HJ, Martínez-Heredia JT, Salazar-Salvatierra ME, Gallo Ruelas M, and Zapata Dongo RJ (2025) Pharmacological and molecular insights into linalool-rich Coriandrum sativum essential oil: Anticonvulsant, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant potential in rodent models, Veterinary World, 18(9): 2598-2614.

Received: 25-05-2025   Accepted: 04-08-2025   Published online: 06-09-2025

Corresponding author: Juan Pedro Rojas-Armas    E-mail: jrojasa1@unmsm.edu.pe

DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2025.2598-2614

Copyright: Rojas-Armas, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.