ABSTRACT
Coriander is an annual herbaceous, medicinal, and aromatic herb belonging to the Umbelliferae family. Essential oils obtained from the fruits of the plant and its leaves are widely used in many areas. These fields are cosmetics, perfumery, medicine, food, pharmacy, and spices. The fruits of the coriander plant contain approximately 0.3–1.5% essential oil. The main component of the essential oil is linalool, and the rate of linalool in the fruit varies between 60 and 70%. In addition to linalool, its essential oil also contains camphor, γ-terpinene, geranyl acetate, α-pinene, and geraniol, which vary in different proportions. The amount and quality of essential oils in the plant are significantly affected by climate, soil-environmental-genetical factors, and agricultural processes and practices. Many agricultural applications such as cutting times, hormone and fertilization applications to the plant, irrigation applications, stress conditions, and post-harvest processes (drying, storage, etc.) could affect the amount and quality of the essential oil in the plant. In this study, detailed information about the agricultural factors, post-harvest processes, and genetic factors that affect the composition and quality of the essential oil of the coriander plant will be presented.
