# Cilantro revisited



## dano7 (Feb 10, 2004)

This is the same story popping up again. I found that if put cilantro in the dicer before the normal mix of greens, it gets very small and wet and sticks to the other greens and they will eat it. I'm thinking once or twice a week.

(HealthDayNews) -- A compound in the herb cilantro, a key ingredient in salsa, may help prevent food poisoning.

The compound -- dodecenal -- kills harmful salmonella bacteria and could prove to be a safe, natural food additive effective at protecting people against foodborne illness, says a joint U.S.-Mexican study in the May 26 issue of the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry.

The antibacterial activity in salsa has been detected in previous research. But this is the first study to isolate a specific antibacterial compound in salsa. Both the leaves and seeds of cilantro, also called coriander, contain about the same amount of dodecenal.

The researchers found dodecenal was about twice as potent as the common medicinal antibiotic gentamicin at killing salmonella bacteria. Dodecenal is the only naturally occurring antibacterial that's more effective than gentamicin at destroying salmonella, according to the researchers.

"We were surprised that dodecenal was such a potent antibiotic," study leader and chemist Isao Kubo, of the University of California, Berkeley, said in a prepared statement.

"The study suggests that people should eat more salsa with their food, especially fresh salsa," Kubo said.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about salmonella.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Thanks Dano!

So..you are currently giving it to the pigeons. 

Is it bite size, or larger so they still thrash it around?

How much are you giving to Yogi and the gang? Are you giving it to your feral flock, also? Would you consider giving it to parents who are feeding their young?

Great answer for Salmonella treatment and prevention. 

Treesa


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## maryco (Apr 1, 2002)

This is very interesting!

I was just thinking about your post this morning Dano because I seem to maybe have a case of salmonella on my balcony with abnormal babies







One even died this morning and the other is just not growing. he looks like a mini pigeon all feathered and all but a quarter size of an adult bird.. this is just not right for his age, he should have been grown up by now. Even his brother who died this morning who is younger was actually bigger in size and more "normal" looking!

I will try this Cilantro thingy on my birds to hopefully keep them healthy.

Mary


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## dano7 (Feb 10, 2004)

Yes, Treesa, I am giving it to them at least once a week. They didn't fancy it day one but they had a little. Now I'm getting it really small then dicing in the spinach, kale, etc which I leave big bite size - the cilantro sticks to the other vegies which they eat better. I don't see a down side and I don't want to vaccinate for this.

How much are you giving to Yogi and the gang? One handful once or twice a week but they only will actually get a fraction of this but definitely it's in their bodies.

Are you giving it to your feral flock, also? My ferals, nearly a hundred birds now, have so many greens to chose from, I figure they have to know what's what - they should be bringing me greens.

Would you consider giving it to parents who are feeding their young? I would give it to them prior to breeding which is the standard procedure, but I don't see why you couldn't give it right through the breeding season.

Great answer for Salmonella treatment and prevention. Well, it could be until proven otherwise.


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