Curcuma longa lin. is an important medicinal and spice plant. It is an underground stem (rhizome) of family zingiberaceae and commonly named as turmeric. Curcuma longa is considered native to south-east Asia probably India or Indonesia, where it is used as a spice since prehistoric days. Turmeric has a great place in Ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine system, Unani and many other folkloric medicines. It is used as an antiseptic, antiinflammatory and for wound healing properties since thousands of years. With the advent of scientific advancements in modern techniques for phytochemical and pharmaceutical estimations and evaluations, medicinal plants gained more important place in arena of modern medicine fields. Turmeric have also been tested and explored extensively with the help of modern analytical and screening techniques, at bio-molecular level. It has been estimated that turmeric consists of more than 50 bioactive phytochemicals out of which Curcumin is the most important, now called as Indian solid gold.

Curcuma longa has recently gained more importance

due to its efficacy against many chronic diseases especially cancers. Turmeric is an effective anti-carcinogenic, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-rheumatic, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, antiAlzheimer’s, anti-fertility, anti-venom and also provides protection against drug induced myocardiotoxicity, alcohol induced liver injury, cataract formation and multiple myelomas etc. In light of immense medicinal importance of turmeric present studies were planned under the title “Biological studies on Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.)”.

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All the plants have variations in chemical composition. Economic and medicinal plants have recorded variations in qualitative and quantitative parameters of phytochemicals. We collected 26 varieties of turmeric, grown them and analyzed. These have qualitative and quantitative variations in phytochemicals, these may be called as phytoclones. Some samples of such named clones were procured from local markets also to study for the amount of Curcumin and curcuminoids. Rhizome samples were analyzed as Fresh, water boiled and treated with NaHCO3 (baking soda). For drying sunlight, infra red drying and microwave drying methods were used. Modern analytical techniques like HPTLC (High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography)

and

HPLC

(High

Performance

Liquid

Chromatography) under standard conditions were used for the analysis of samples. Curcuma longa is generally washed, boiled, dried and then polished to sell in commercial markets. We analyzed various phytoclones (varieties) commonly available in the market to establish the qualitative and quantitative parameters of their phytochemicals. We made our studies to know (1) good variety, commonly available turmeric in Indian spice markets (2) Other good phytoclones of turmeric cultivated in India which are high in Curcumin and curcuminoids content (3) Effect of processing i.e. curing, drying etc on qualitative and quantitative, variations on important phytochemicals in different varieties (4) Morphological and anatomical distribution of phytochemicals in turmeric rhizomes (5) Best method of processing, cultivation and storage (6) Measure to increase bioavailability of Curcumin in human blood serum. 2

We analyzed the commonly available market samples from four different cities- Saharanpur, Delhi, Amritsar and Meerut. In these markets turmeric varieties are procured from different turmeric growing areas. The semi finished Maharashtra Nanded hingoli finger was found to be a good commonly available market variety with 4.01% Curcumin. On the other hand, Warangal variety available in markets was poor in Curcumin content. Some other good varieties are Nizamabad bulbs and Erode fingers. Cultivation was planned in plots, earthen pots and under trees. During study for post harvest treatments, we found boiling of turmeric rhizomes leads to loss of phytochemicals. So also the treatment

of

rhizomes

with

NaHCO3

reduces

phytochemical

content even more severely. Fresh rhizomes when directly dried in infrared light or sunlight show more Curcumin and curcuminoids content. So boiling of turmeric is an undesirable process. No doubt drying of rhizomes is an important process. Fresh rhizomes need to be dried for further commercial, domestic or pharmaceutical uses. Infrared dried samples have more Curcumin and sunlight dried samples have high amount of other curcuminoids. In any case microwave drying reduces Curcumin and curcuminoids content to great extent. Fresh IR dried Sonia Rajinder has Curcumin- 3.21% and Curcuminoids- 7.08%. Sunlight dried sample of Sonia Rajinder has 9.28% curcuminoids, which is maximum among all 26 varieties under study. Other noted good varieties are Alleyppe(Curcumin3.01% & curcuminoids- 7.98%), Kedaram(Curcumin- 2.97% & curcuminoids- 7.48%), Prabha(Curcumin- 2.12% & curcuminoids-

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6.89%) and Vallabh Priya(Curcumin- 2.21% & curcuminoids5.11%). Our studies on Roma and Vallabh Priya varieties suggest that orchards are also good place for turmeric cultivation. Guvava trees proved to be beneficial phytoassociate for turmeric.

Roma

rhizomes dug from Guava orchards when boiled and sundried have Curcumin- 2.02% and fresh sundry sample has curcuminoids7.34%. Similarly Vallabh Priya samples taken from Guava orchards have Curcumin- 3.05% and curcuminoids- 7.96%, which is an appreciable amount. Mango trees have inhibitory impact on phytochemical content of turmeric because samples taken from Mango orchards were poor in Curcumin and curcuminoids. In Roma samples

taken

from

Mango

orchard

both

Curcumin

and

curcuminoids content was found in traces while fresh sundry samples of Vallabh Priya from Mango orchards have Curcumin1.24% and curcuminoids- 5.36% which is much lower than samples

from

Guava

orchards.

Low

concentration

of

phytochemicals in samples from Mango and Litchi orchard may also be due to pollution of high doses of pesticides sprayed over these orchards. Least pesticides are sprayed in Guava orchard. Studies

were

made

for

anatomical

localization

of

Curcumin and curcuminoids also. It was observed that cortex of turmeric rhizome has more Curcumin

and curcuminoids as

compared to other anatomical regions like rhizome bark (epidermis & hypodermis) and pith. Since in traditional methods of polishing rhizomes are rubbed with coarse material in gunny bags or in drums with rough surface .This process removes part of cortex. So polishing is also an undesirable process.

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Turmeric rhizomes has a distinct morphology with large central bulb branching into fine fingers which may further divides to more finer branches called splits. We analyzed bulbs and fingers for Curcumin and curcuminoids content and found bulbs are rich in phytochemicals as compared to fingers. Retention of Curcumin in blood in high amount is important because Curcumin can eliminate neoplasm of cancer from blood. This checks metastasis of cancer. So scientists are working on bioavailability of Curcumin in the blood stream. Two types of method are under trial1. Development

of

stable

molecule

of

Curcumin

by

substituting a chemical group 2. Administration

of

Curcumin

along

with

some

other

phytochemical which can enhance the amount Curcumin in the blood. In

Indian

traditional, folkloric

and

Ayurvedic

medicine

Curcuma is recommended with black pepper (Piper nigrum) and long pepper (Piper longum). We tried to analyze bioavailability of Curcumin and administered turmeric powder to five different volunteers in second set of experiment we administered piperine obtained from Piper nigrum along with Curcuma longa powder to those same volunteers. Blood samples were analyzed with the help of HPLC. It was observed that in all the five volunteers, 3 males and 2 females, presence of Curcumin was more when Curcuma powder was administered with piperine in comparison to only Curcuma powder. On the basis of our study we recommended that-

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1. Curcuma longa varieties can be cultivated in orchards but these should never be planted under Mango trees. Guava orchards are found to be the most desirable site for turmeric plantation. 2.

Among

commonly

available

market

samples

semi

finished finger of Maharashtra Nanded hingoli variety should be used for domestic and medicinal purposes since they have more Curcumin content in them. 3.

Turmeric rhizomes are usually boiled, dried and then polished to sell in the commercial markets. However boiling of rhizome is not desirable as it leads to loss of phytochemicals. Turmeric

rhizome should be finely

chopped and directly dried without boiling or treatment with NaHCO3, especially when these are used for pharmaceutical purposes. Fresh rhizomes should be directly dried through infrared light or sunlight. Microwaves should not be used for drying of turmeric rhizomes since it reduces Curcumin and curcuminoids content to great extent. Infrared light drying yield more Curcumin but other curcuminoids are present more in sunlight dried samples. Our studies indicates that cortex of turmeric rhizomes has more Curcumin and curcuminoids than cover and pith of the rhizomes. Since polishing of Curcuma longa removes cover (epidermis & hypodermis) along with some part of cortex. Thus, polishing of turmeric is also an undesirable process for curing of turmeric. Rhizomes should be dug, thoroughly washed in cold water and gently cleaned with cloth to remove the clay etc. 6

4.

Turmeric

powder

can

be

directly

administered

as

phytomedicine. But piperine, a bioactive constituent of Piper nigrum (black pepper) is found to increase the bioavailability of Curcumin in blood. So, it is advised to take black pepper powder along with Curcuma longa for better medical results.

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