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Members of the genus Curcuma L. have been used in traditional medicine for centuries for treating gastrointestinal disorders, pain, inflammatory conditions, wounds, and for cancer prevention and antiaging, among others. Many of the biological activities of Curcuma species can be attributed to nonvolatile curcuminoids, but these plants also produce volatile chemicals. Essential oils, in general, have shown numerous beneficial effects for health maintenance and treatment of diseases. Essential oils from Curcuma spp., particularly C. longa, have demonstrated various health-related biological activities and several essential oil companies have recently marketed Curcuma oils. This review summarizes the volatile components of various Curcuma species, the biological activities of Curcuma essential oils, and potential safety concerns of Curcuma essential oils and their components.

Background: Curcuma spp. (Zingiberaceae) are used as a spice and coloring agent. Their rhizomes and essential oils are known for medicinal properties, besides their use in the flavoring and cosmetic industry. Most of these biological activities were attributed to volatile and nonvolatile secondary metabolites present in the rhizomes of Curcuma spp. The metabolite variations among the species and even cultivars need to be established for optimized use of Curcuma spp. Objectives: We compared the phytochemical profiles of rhizomes and their essential oils to establish the variability among seven cultivars: five of Curcuma longa L . (Alleppey Supreme, Duggirala Red, Prathibha, Salem, Suguna) and two of C. aromatica Salisb. (Kasturi Araku, Kasturi Avidi). The GC-MS and LC-MS-based analyses were employed to profile secondary metabolites of these selected cultivars. Methods: Rhizomes of Curcuma spp. were subjected to hydro-distillation to collect essential oil and analyzed by GC-MS. The methanol extracts of fresh rhizomes were subjected to LC-MS analyses. The compounds were identified by using the relevant MS library databases as many compounds as possible. Results: The essential oil content of the cultivars was in the range of 0.74–1.62%. Several compounds were detected from the essential oils and rhizome extracts by GC-MS and LC-MS, respectively. Of these, 28 compounds (13 from GCMS and 15 from LCMS) were common in all seven cultivars, e.g., α-thujene, and diarylheptanoids like curcumin. Furthermore, a total of 39 new compounds were identified from C. longa L. and/or C. aromatica Salisb., most of them being cultivar-specific. Of these compounds, 35 were detected by GC-MS analyses of essential oils, 1,2-cyclohexanediol, 1-methyl-4-(1-methylethyl)-, and santolina alcohol, to name a few. The other four compounds were detected by LC-MS of the methanolic extracts of the rhizomes, e.g., kaempferol-3,7-O-dimethyl ether and 5,7,8-trihydroxy-2′,5′-dimethoxy-3′,4′-methylene dioxyisoflavanone. Conclusions: We identified and recorded the variability in the metabolite profiles of essential oils and whole rhizome extracts from the seven cultivars of Curcuma longa L. and C. aromatica Salisb. As many as 39 new metabolites were detected in these seven Indian cultivars of Curcuma spp. Many of these compounds have health benefits.

Curcumin, a yellow polyphenolic pigment from the Curcuma longa L. (turmeric) rhizome, has been used for centuries for culinary and food coloring purposes, and as an ingredient for various medicinal preparations, widely used in Ayurveda and Chinese medicine. In recent decades, their biological activities have been extensively studied. Thus, this review aims to offer an in-depth discussion of curcumin applications for food and biotechnological industries, and on health promotion and disease prevention, with particular emphasis on its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, anticancer, hepatoprotective, and cardioprotective effects. Bioavailability, bioefficacy and safety features, side effects, and quality parameters of curcumin are also addressed. Finally, curcumin’s multidimensional applications, food attractiveness optimization, agro-industrial procedures to offset its instability and low bioavailability, health concerns, and upcoming strategies for clinical application are also covered.

Turmeric, a globally cultivated spice, holds significance in medicine, and cosmetics, and is also a very popular ingredient in South Asian cuisine. A study involving 53 turmeric genotypes evaluated for rhizome yield and related traits at Spices Research Center, Bogura, Bangladesh over three years (2019–22). A randomized complete block design was followed with two replications. ANOVA revealed significant trait variations among genotypes. Genotype T0015 emerged as the highest yielder at 28.04 t/ha. High heritability (0.58–0.99) and genetic advance characterized plant height (PH), mother rhizome weight (WMR), primary and secondary finger weights (WPF and WSF), and yield per plant (YPP) across seasons. Genetic gain (GG) was prominent in these traits. Genotypic and phenotypic coefficient variations (GCV and PCV) (6.24–89.46 and 8.18–90.88, respectively) across three years highlighted mother rhizome weight’s importance followed by numbers of primary finger (NPF), and WPF. Positive and significant correlations, especially with PH, WMR, WPF, and YPP, emphasized their relevance to fresh yield (FY). Multiple linear regression identified PH, number of mother rhizome (NMR) and WMR as key contributors, explaining 37–79% of FY variability. Cluster analysis grouped genotypes into five clusters with maximum distance observed between clusters II and III. The geometric adaptability index (GAI) assessed adaptability and superiority, revealing nine genotypes outperforming the best existing cultivar. Genotype T0117 as the top performer based on GAI, followed by T0103 and T0094. Mean rank analysis favoured T0121 as the best performer, succeeded by T0117, T0082 and T0106. The top ten genotypes (T0015, T0061, T0082, T0085, T0094, T0103, T0106, T0117, T0121 and T0129) were identified as superior based on yield and overall ranking, warranting further evaluation. These findings may induce a window for improving turmeric research and ultimately play a role in enhancing its cultivation and productivity.

The tubers of Curcuma kwangsiensis are regarded as an important medicinal material in China. In C. kwangsiensis cultivation, tuber expansion is key to yield and quality, but the regulatory mechanisms are not well understood. In this study, metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses were conducted to elucidate the mechanism underlying tuber expansion development. The results showed that auxin (IAA), jasmonic acid (JA), gibberellin (GA 3) , ethylene (ETH), and brassinolide (BR) levels increased during tuber expansion development. Metabolomic analysis showed that 197 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) accumulated during tuber expansion development and these also play important roles in the accumulation of carbohydrates and secondary metabolites. 6962 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were enriched in plant hormone signal transduction, starch and sucrose metabolism, linoleic acid metabolism, MAPK signaling pathway as well as sesquiterpenoid and triterpenoid biosynthesis. Comprehensive analysis revealed that DEGs and DAMs of plant hormone signal transduction, ABC transporters and biosynthesis of phenylpropanoids and terpenoids are critical pathways in regulating tuber expansion. In addition, some transcription factors ( ARF , C2H2 , C3H , NAC , bHLH , GRAS and WRKY ) as well as hub genes ( HDS , HMGR , ARF7 , PP2CA , PAL and CCOMT ) are also involved in this process. This study lays a theoretical basis for the molecular mechanism of tuber expansion in C. kwangsiensis .

Background Cancer is a deadly disease responsible for worldwide mortality; usually, middle- and low-income countries have been more affected by cancer and are responsible for 70% of deaths. The present study was performed with the aim to design silver nanoparticles using three species of Curcuma , i.e., Curcuma longa , Curcuma aromatica , and Curcuma caesia . Methods The rhizomes of different plants were extracted with ethanol. The rhizome extracts were used to prepare silver nanoparticles. It was optimized at different pH, silver ion concentrations, and concentrations of plant extracts. The anticancer activity of prepared nanoparticles of C. longa , C. aromatica , and C. caesia was evaluated on a human colon cancer cell line (HT-29) using sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay. Results The percentage yield of C. longa , C. aromatica , and C. caesia was 11.34 g, 15.45 g, and 12.67 g, respectively. The results exhibited that the prepared nanoparticles were smooth and spherical. All the nanoparticles of rhizome extracts rescued the viability of HT-29 cells in a different extent. HT-29 cells were sensitive to prepared nanoparticles that induce more cytotoxicity towards cancer cells. Conclusion Thus, the prepared silver nanoparticle of Curcuma species through green synthesis may help treat cancer with low toxicity.

In this study tumors were developed with carcinogenic agent 7-12 Dimethylbenz(a) anthracene in female albino wistar rats at a dose of 7.5 mg/kg sc once a week for 4 weeks and waited for 90 days considering from first day of initiation until development of tumors. Once tumors were developed at 90 days, tumor size was then measured weekly with digital vernier caliper for four weeks during the treatment of plant extracts. Plant extracts of Curcuma zedoaria and Gloriosa superba comparatively evaluated for their potential to reduce tumor size against Paclitaxel. Administration of aqueous extracts of Curcuma zedoaria and Gloriosa superba at dose of 5mg/kg body weight orally for 30 days was associated with significant decrease in tumor volume as compared to that of Paclitaxel which was given at dose of 1mg/kg body weight ip. Apart from this Curcuma zedoaria and Gloriosa superba aqueous plants extracts, treated groups have shown significant down regulation of biological markers like SGPT, ALP, LDH, LPO, urea, and up regulation of GSH, total protein.

Curcuma species are widely used as a food additive and also in various medicinal purposes. The plant is a rich source of essential oil and is predominantly extracted from the rhizomes. On the other hand, the leaves of the plants are usually considered as an agrowaste. The valorization of these Curcuma leaf wastes into essential oils is becoming accepted globally. In the present study, we aim to extract essential oils from the leaves of Curcuma longa (LEO), C. aromatica (REO), and C. anguistifolia (NEO). The chemical composition of these essential oils was analyzed by GC-MS. Free radical scavenging properties were evaluated against the radical sources, including DPPH, ABTS, and hydrogen peroxide. The antibacterial activity was assessed by the disc diffusion method and Minimum inhibitory concentration analysis against Gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella enterica) bacteria. Results identified the compounds α-phellandrene, 2-carene, and eucalyptol as predominant in LEO. The REO was predominated by camphor, 2-bornanone, and curdione. The main components detected in NEO were eucalyptol, curzerenone, α-lemenone, longiverbenone, and α-curcumene. Antioxidant properties were higher in the LEO with IC50 values of 8.62 ± 0.18, 9.21 ± 0.29, and 4.35 ± 0.16 μg/mL, against DPPH, ABTS, and hydrogen peroxide radicals. The cytotoxic activity was also evident against breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells; the LEO was found to be the most active against these two cell lines (IC50 values of 40.74 ± 2.19 and 45.17 ± 2.36 μg/mL). Likewise, the results indicated a higher antibacterial activity for Curcuma longa essential oil with respective IC50 values (20.6 ± 0.3, 22.2 ± 0.3, 20.4 ± 0.2, and 17.6 ± 0.2 mm). Hence, the present study confirms the possible utility of leaf agrowastes of different Curcuma spp. as a possible source of essential oils with pharmacological potential.

Background and aims Curcuma aeruginosa , commonly known as “kha-min-dam” in Thai, holds significance in Asian traditional medicine due to its potential in treating various diseases, having properties such as anti-HIV, hepatoprotective, antimicrobial and anti-androgenic activities. This study explores the anticancer activity of C. aeruginosa essential oil (CAEO) and its nano-formulations. Methods CAEO obtained from hydrodistillation of C. aeruginosa fresh rhizomes was examined by gas chromatography mass spectroscopy. Cytotoxicity of CAEO was determined in leukaemic K562 and breast cancer MCF-7 cell lines using an MTT assay. Cell cycle analysis and cell apoptosis were determined by flow cytometry. Cell migration was studied through a wound-healing assay. Results Benzofuran (33.20%) emerged as the major compound of CAEO, followed by Germacrene B (19.12%) and Germacrone (13.60%). Two types of CAEO loaded nano-formulations, nanoemulsion (NE) and microemulsion (ME) were developed. The average droplet sizes of NE and ME were 13.8 ± 0.2 and 21.2 ± 0.2 nm, respectively. In a comparison with other essential oils from the fresh rhizomes of potential plants from the same family ( Curcuma longa , Curcuma mangga and Zingiber officinale ) on anticancer activity against K562 and MCF-7 cell lines, CAEO exhibited the highest cytotoxicity with IC 50 of 13.43 ± 1.09 and 20.18 ± 1.20 µg/mL, respectively. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that CAEO significantly increased cell death, evidenced from the sub-G1 populations in the cell cycle assay and triggered apoptosis. Additionally, CAEO effectively inhibited cell migration in MCF-7 cells after incubation for 12 and 24 h. The developed NE and ME formulations significantly enhanced the cytotoxicity of CAEO against K562 cells with an IC 50 of 45.30 ± 1.49 and 41.98 ± 0.96 µg/mL, respectively. Conclusion This study’s finding suggest that both nano-formulations, NE and ME, effectively facilitated the delivery of CAEO into cancer cells.

Curcuma wenyujin is recognized as one of the traditional Chinese medicinal herbs classified under the ‘Eight Flavors of Zhejiang’. This herb is characterized by its high content of volatile oils and curcumin, with sesquiterpenes being the primary component. It exhibits a range of pharmacological activities, including anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral effects. The quality and yield of C. wenyujin are significantly influenced by abiotic stresses, with salt-alkali stress being one of the key factors among them. In this study, C. wenyujin was exposed to salt-alkali stress, with its leaves serving as the primary research object. Transcriptome and metabolome sequencing analyses were performed to explore the associated pathways and key genes in C. wenyujin that respond to salt-alkali stress. The results of transcriptome sequencing revealed a total of 438 differentially expressed genes significantly enriched in 12 pathways, including Biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, Metabolic pathways and Zeatin biosynthesis. Through comprehensive analysis, we have identified two key candidate genes, CwPER5 and CwBGLU32 , which are highly Likely to be involved in regulating metabolite synthesis under stress conditions. Additionally, non-targeted metabolomics sequencing identified a total of 781 metabolites, among which 166 were found to be significantly differentially accumulated. The most annotated metabolites were linked to the Biosynthesis of plant secondary metabolites pathway, followed by the ABC transporters pathway and the biosynthesis of alkaloids derived from ornithine, lysine and nicotinic acid pathway. This research offers a scientific foundation for the development and utilization of traditional Chinese medicine resources, specifically C. wenyujin , as well as a theoretical basis for breeding new varieties of C. wenyujin that exhibit resistance to salt-alkaline stress.