Extraction Method for High Curcuminoid Content from Curcuma longaWerayut Pothitirat and Wandee Gritsanapan
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Curcuma longa Linn. (Turmeric) of the Zingiberaceae family is a well-known indigenous medicinal
herb which is listed in the Thai Herbal Essential Drug List. In several Asian countries, it has been used for
centuries in traditional medicine as a carminative and as an antifungal for skin diseases. The yellow curcuminoid
pigment has been reported to posses antioxidative, antiinflammatory and anticarcinogenic properties. Biological
activities and the price of turmeric depend on curcuminoid and essential oil contents in the rhizome. This work
compared extraction methods by maceration, percolation and soxhlet extraction to find out the appropriate method
which gives maximum yield of total curcuminoid content in crude 95% ethanolic extract. Total curcuminoid
content in the extract was evaluated by UV spectrophotometric method. The yields of dried ethanolic extracts
from maceration, percolation and soxhlet extraction were 25.34 ¡Ó 0.71, 26.37 ¡Ó 1.50 and 26.67 ¡Ó 1.46 % dried
weight, respectively while total curcuminoid contents in crude ethanolic extracts from these extraction methods
were 57.27 ¡Ó 5.70, 59.09 ¡Ó 11.73 and 50.44 ¡Ó 1.45, respectively. The calculated quantities of total curcuminoids
in dried turmeric powders extracted by maceration, percolation and soxhlet extraction were 10.45 ¡Ó 1.27, 11.56 ¡Ó
3.51 and 9.47 ¡Ó 0.50 % w/w, respectively. The maximum amount of total curcuminoids was found in the extract
obtained from percolation method. Considering various factors involved in the process, i.e. time consumed,
extraction costs and yield of crude curcuminoids, percolation appears to be the recommended method for
extraction of high curcuminoid content of C. longa. ÆÉAll rights reserved.
Keyword:
Curcuminoid,Curcuma longa ,Curcuma longa Linn. ,Turmeric, Zingiberaceae ,herb ,Thai Herbal Essential Drug List,carminative, antifungal ,skin diseases,antioxidative,anticarcinogenic , turmeric
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