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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.

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 .

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.

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.

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.

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.

Background As a key genus in Zingiberaceae, Curcuma is widely studied for its taxonomic diversity, the presence of bioactive curcuminoids and volatile oils, and its extensive applications in traditional medicine and economic products such as spices and cosmetics. Although chloroplast genomes have been assembled and published for over 20 Curcuma species, mitochondrial genomic data remain limited. Results We successfully sequenced, assembled, and annotated the mitogenome of Curcuma amarissima ( C. amarissima ) using both Illumina short reads and Nanopore long reads, achieving the first complete mitogenome characterization in the Zingiberaceae family. The C. amarissima mitogenome features a unique multi-branched structure, spanning 6,505,655 bp and consisting of 39 distinct segments. It contains a total of 43 protein-coding genes, 63 tRNA genes, and 4 rRNA genes, with a GC content of 44.04%. Codon usage analysis indicated a weak bias, with neutrality plot analysis suggesting natural selection as a key factor shaping mitochondrial codon usage in C. amarissima . The mitogenome provides valuable insights into genome size, coding genes, structural features, RNA editing, repetitive sequences, and sequence migration, enhancing our understanding of the evolution and molecular biology of multi-branched mitochondria in Zingiberaceae. The high frequency of repeat sequences may contribute to the structural stability of the mitochondria. Comparing chloroplast genome, phylogenetic analysis based on the mitochondrial genome establishes a foundation for further exploration of evolutionary relationships within Zingiberaceae. Conclusions In short, the mitochondrial genome characterized here advances our understanding of multi-branched mitogenome organization in Zingiberaceae and offers useful genomic resources that may support future breeding, germplasm conservation, and phylogenetic studies, though further research is necessary.

Curcuma kwangsiensis is a medicinal plant endemic to China with significant economic and medicinal value. In agricultural practice, it is typically harvested after one year of cultivation. However, continuous cropping has severely constrained the development of the C. kwangsiensis industry. To elucidate the effects of continuous cropping on the yield and rhizosphere soil environment, this study systematically investigated the effects of continuous cropping on C. kwangsiensis yield, rhizosphere soil physicochemical properties, enzyme activities, and microbial communities through field experiments. The results showed that continuous cropping significantly reduced C. kwangsiensis yield by 58.87%. It decreased soil pH while increasing the accumulation of soil nutrients including organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, total potassium, available phosphorus, available potassium, and available nitrogen, but significantly decreased the activities of soil enzymes such as phosphatase, urease and catalase. Moreover, continuous cropping enhanced both the abundance and diversity of bacterial and microeukaryotic communities. It significantly increased the relative abundance of Planctomycetota, which became the dominant bacterial phylum, while also significantly increasing the relative abundances of the predominant microeukaryotic phyla Ciliophora and Cercozoa. Redundancy analysis revealed that pH was the most important factor affecting microbial community composition. Continuous cropping of C. kwangsiensis reduced soil pH, altered soil physicochemical properties and enzyme activities, and restructured microbial communities. The bacterial co-occurrence networks revealed a shift from a relatively compact and clustered structure at the initial stage to a larger and more complex network with continuous cropping, characterized by higher interaction density but reduced local clustering. The fungal networks shifted from a highly compact structure in Y0 to more expanded but less cohesive architectures in Y1 and Y2. SEM (Structural Equation Modeling) analysis shows that during continuous cropping, soil enzyme activity was the key influencing factor, which was closely related to microbial diversity and the availability of nitrogen and phosphorus, and there was a positive feedback effect. These changes collectively explain the yield reduction in C. kwangsiensis , providing a critical theoretical foundation for protecting its rhizosphere soil ecosystem and ensuring sustainable cultivation practices.

Background Curcuma aromatica oil is a traditional herbal medicine demonstrating protective and anti-fibrosis activities in renal fibrosis patients. However, study of its mechanism of action is challenged by its multiple components and multiple targets that its active agent acts on. Methodology/Principal Findings Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabonomics combined with clinical chemistry and histopathology examination were performed to evaluate intervening effects of Curcuma aromatica oil on renal interstitial fibrosis rats induced by unilateral ureteral obstruction. The metabolite levels were compared based on integral values of serum 1H NMR spectra from rats on 3, 7, 14, and 28 days after the medicine administration. Time trajectory analysis demonstrated that metabolic profiles of the agent-treated rats were restored to control levels after 7 days of dosage. The results confirmed that the agent would be an effective anti-fibrosis medicine in a time-dependent manner, especially in early renal fibrosis stage. Targeted metabolite analysis showed that the medicine could lower levels of lipid, acetoacetate, glucose, phosphorylcholine/choline, trimethylamine oxide and raise levels of pyruvate, glycine in the serum of the rats. Serum clinical chemistry and kidney histopathology examination dovetailed well with the metabonomics data. Conclusions/Significances The results substantiated that Curcuma aromatica oil administration can ameliorate renal fibrosis symptoms by inhibiting some metabolic pathways, including lipids metabolism, glycolysis and methylamine metabolism, which are dominating targets of the agent working in vivo. This study further strengthens the novel analytical approach for evaluating the effect of traditional herbal medicine and elucidating its molecular mechanism.

Humans have utilized plants for various purposes, including sustenance and medical treatment for millennia. Researchers have extensively investigated medicinal plants’ potential in drug development, spurred by their rich array of chemical compounds. Curcumin, a valuable bioactive compound, is extracted from Turmeric, known by the scientific name Curcuma Longa L. Notably, curcumin boasts potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, making it a promising candidate for treating cancer and other microbial diseases. Therefore, the simulation study of the extraction of this important medicinal compound by water, which is a green solvent, was carried out. This study employed molecular dynamics simulation for the first time to explore the extraction of Curcuma Longa L. extract using subcritical water. The simulations were carried out at constant pressure and different temperatures, using the Compass force field in the Lammps simulation package. The findings revealed an increase in the amount of Curcuma longa extract with rising temperature, indicating a weakening of hydrogen bonds in water molecules. Water lost its polar state with increasing temperature and became a suitable non-polar solvent for extracting non-polar compounds. The average absolute relative deviation (AARD) for calculated and simulated density data was 6.45%.