Phytochemical Profiling and Assessment of Antidiabetic Activity of Curcuma Angustifolia Rhizome Methanolic Extract: An In Vitro and In Silico Analysis.

Curcuma angustifolia Roxb. is a plant with medicinal potential, traditionally used to treat different diseases. The present study aimed to determine the antidiabetic activity of C. angustifolia rhizome in vitro and in silico. The methanolic extract of C. angustifolia rhizome was analyzed by FTIR and GC-MS to determine the phytochemicals present. The antidiabetic potential of the extract was evaluated by different assays in vitro. The extract inhibited both α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes and the glucose diffusion through the dialysis membrane in a concentration-dependent manner with IC50 values of 530.39±0.09, 293.75±0.11, and 551.74±0.3 µg/ml respectively. The methanolic extract also improved yeast cell's ability to take up glucose across plasma membranes and the adsorption of glucose. The findings were supported by molecular docking studies. The results showed that the methanol extract of C. angustifolia rhizome has significant antidiabetic activity and thus can be also studied to isolate the potential compound with antidiabetic activities.

Metabolomics-based profiling for quality assessment and revealing the impact of drying of Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.).

Turmeric, the rhizomes of Curcuma longa L., is one of the top selling spices, food preservatives, and food colorants. In addition, it exhibits health promoting benefits owing to its unique phytochemical composition. Nevertheless, it is commonly subjected to heat drying, hence, the dried powder is the most used form and can easily be adulterated with allied species. Therefore, our research aimed to profile the phytochemical composition and investigate the impact of drying of turmeric. Extraction and fractionation followed by LC- and GC-MS analysis resulted in the identification of a total of 161 metabolites belonged to various phytochemical classes. Moreover, multivariate data analysis identified curcuminoids, terpecurcumins, and organic acids as potential markers for drying. Based on the applied analytical techniques in combination with chemometrics, these investigations have succeeded to provide good coverage of the metabolome of turmeric in both fresh and dried forms.

Quality assessment of Curcuma dietary supplements: Complementary data from LC-MS and 1H NMR.

Due to the numerous potential health benefits of Curcuma, turmeric dietary supplements (DS) are among the top selling products. To assess the quality of these formulations, thirty Curcuma DS along with five standard Curcuma rhizomes were analyzed with UHPLC-MS and 1H NMR. The chemometric treatment of the UHPLC-MS spectra showed a significant variability of their chemical composition that was confirmed by 1H NMR which allowed the absolute quantification of the Curcuma major bioactive components, i.e. curcuminoids (curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin), and turmerones (aryl-, α- and ß-) as well as piperine, a commonly associated curcumin bioavailability enhancer: respectively 3.5-556, 0-8.6, 0.18-8.1 mg/capsule or tablet. The comparison of the actual and claimed quantities of curcuminoids and piperine showed that 58% of the DS contained the expected amounts of actives.

Preparation and physicochemical assessment of bioactive films based on chitosan and starchy powder of white turmeric rhizomes (Curcuma Zedoaria) for green packaging applications.

In the current study, the bioactive films of chitosan/white turmeric (CH/WT) were prepared by employing solvent casting technique and analyzed their physicochemical and biological properties for active packaging applications. The successful inclusion of white turmeric into the chitosan matrix is confirmed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. Due to the presence of hydrogen bonding interaction, the active films exhibited good tensile properties, smooth surface morphology, miscibility, water resistance and UV barrier properties. The incorporation of white turmeric reduced the water vapour transmission rate and oxygen permeability (p < 0.05) in contrast with pristine film. The prepared blend films revealed soil degradation rate more than 60% within 15 days. Furthermore, the blend films exhibited lesser water solubility, moisture content and swelling index after addition of white turmeric to chitosan (p < 0.05). The prepared films revealed extensive antimicrobial activity against gram positive and gram negative bacteria. The antioxidant activity and total phenolic content were improved upon the incorporation of white turmeric. Moreover, the oil absorption rate of the blend films was decreased by 46% in comparison with pristine film. Overall, white turmeric incorporated chitosan films were employed as a green packaging material to extend the shelf life of the foodstuff.

Effects of Thai Local Ingredient Odorants, Litsea cubeba and Garlic Essential Oils, on Brainwaves and Moods.

The functional food market is growing with a compound annual growth rate of 7.9%. Thai food recipes use several kinds of herbs. Lemongrass, garlic, and turmeric are ingredients used in Thai curry paste. Essential oils released in the preparation step create the flavor and fragrance of the famous tom yum and massaman dishes. While the biological activities of these ingredients have been investigated, including the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities, there is still a lack of understanding regarding the responses to the essential oils of these plants. To investigate the effects of essential oil inhalation on the brain and mood responses, electroencephalography was carried out during the non-task resting state, and self-assessment of the mood state was performed. The essential oils were prepared in several dilutions in the range of the supra-threshold level. The results show that Litsea cubeba oil inhalation showed a sedative effect, observed from alpha and beta wave power reductions. The frontal and temporal regions of the brain were involved in the wave alterations. Garlic oil increased the alpha wave power at lower concentrations; however, a sedative effect was also observed at higher concentrations. Lower dilution oil induced changes in the fast alpha activity in the frontal region. The alpha and beta wave powers were decreased with higher dilution oils, particularly in the temporal, parietal, and occipital regions. Both Litsea cubeba and turmeric oils resulted in better positive moods than garlic oil. Garlic oil caused more negative moods than the others. The psychophysiological activities and the related brain functions require further investigation. The knowledge obtained from this study may be used to design functional food products.

Assessment of antibacterial and antifungal potential of Curcuma longa and synthesized nanoparticles: A comparative study.

Curcumin nanoparticles were most recently considered in medical research because of their antibacterial properties. The main objective of the study was to develop the green synthesis and antibacterial activity of curcumin nanoparticles using Curcuma longa. The processing of curcumin nanoparticles was carried out after the collection, identification, and extraction of curcumin. The effect of a sample on the synthesis of nanoparticles, such as curcumin aqueous concentrations (5, 10, and 20 mg/ml) and curcumin nanoparticles (5, 10, and 20 mg/ml), and the antibacterial effect of these nanoparticles on Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and the fungal strain Aspergillus niger. For examining antibacterial and anti-fungal activity disc diffusion method was performed, followed by the zone of inhibition. According to X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope analysis, nanoparticles have spherical shapes and size of 42.64 nm. Results showed that a high dose of 20 mg/ml curcumin nanoparticles have more antibacterial activity than curcumin extracts in E. coli as it showed the largest diameter of zone of inhibition as compared to other doses. Other bacterial and fungal strains also showed significant results but E. coli was most prominent. The biosynthesis of curcumin nanoparticles using an aqueous extract of C. longa is a clean, inexpensive, and safe method that has not been used any toxic substance and consequently does not have side effects. Since several pathogenic species have acquired antibiotic resistance, the combination of curcumin with various nanoparticles would be beneficial in the cure of pathogenic diseases.

Cost-Effectiveness of Passion Fruit Albedo versus Turmeric in the Glycemic and Lipaemic Control of People with Type 2 Diabetes: Randomized Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Robust evidence has related yellow passion fruit albedo and long turmeric to the metabolic and glycemic control of diabetes. AIM: To analyze the incremental cost-effectiveness of the flour made from yellow passion fruit albedo versus long turmeric merged with piperine in the glycemic and lipid control of individuals with type 2 diabetes. METHOD: Eighty-nine patients were enrolled in this randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial for 120 days. The first group was prescribed 500 mg capsules, three times a day, of yellow passion fruit albedo flour (FAMA). The second group was prescribed long turmeric capsules (500 mg), merged with piperine (5 mg) (CURPI), at fasting. The third group followed the standard advice recommendations, and ingested a placebo of carboxymethyl cellulose (500 mg) at fasting. RESULTS: The group using FAMA showed a higher reduction (-5.9%) of glycemia after fasting, compared to placebo (+9%), and CURPI (-3.2%) (p < 0.05). Regarding HbA1c, the study observed a significant and similar statistical reduction (-0.8%) in the intervention groups, in contrast with the placebo group (p < 0.05). The reduction in HOMA-IR in the CURPI group (-9.4%) was higher than the other groups (p < 0.05). The CURPI group also showed a higher reduction of serum triglyceride levels (-20.8%) compared to the placebo (-0.09%) and FAMA (+1.8%) (p < 0.05) groups. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that turmeric is the most cost-effective in comparison with yellow passion fruit albedo, because of its decrease in the levels of triglycerides and HOMA-IR, even when adjusted for confounding variables. On the other hand, HbA1c cost-effectiveness relation was similar.

Combined extracts of Moringa oleifera, Murraya koeingii leaves, and Curcuma longa rhizome increases energy expenditure and controls obesity in high-fat diet-fed rats.

BACKGROUND: LI85008F is a proprietary combination of leaf extracts of Moringa oleifera, Murraya koeingii, and extract of Curcuma longa rhizome. This herbal extract combination is an effective weight loss supplement for overweight and obese subjects. The present study aimed to investigate the thermogenic potential of the LI85008F in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese Sprague Dawley rats. METHODS: Seven rats received a regular diet (RD), and twenty-one rats received a high-fat diet (HFD) for 56 days. On day 28, the HFD-fed rats were randomized into three groups (n = 7). Starting from day 29 through day 56, one HFD-fed group received daily oral gavage of 0.5% Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium (CMC) alone (HFD), and the remaining two groups received 100 and 250 mg/kg LI85008F (LI85008F-100 and LI85008F-250, respectively). Body weight, fat mass, fat cell size, liver weight, liver triglyceride were measured. The energy metabolism parameters were measured using indirect calorimetry. In serum, the metabolic and endocrine markers were analyzed. The adipogenic and thermoregulatory proteins expression in the white adipose tissue (WAT) were analyzed using an immunoblot assay. RESULTS: Supplementation with both doses of LI85008F significantly increased resting energy expenditure (REE) in the obese rats. The LI85008F-250 rats showed significant up-regulation of uncoupling protein-1 (UCP-1) expression, as compared with the HFD rats. LI85008F significantly reduced body weight gain, fat mass, fat cell size, liver weight, and hepatic triglycerides. Serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, glucose, leptin, and fat cell markers were significantly reduced in LI85008F-supplemented rats compared to the HFD rats. CONCLUSION: The present data suggest that LI85008F reduces body fat mass and controls body weight gain via increasing energy metabolism in combination with reduced lipogenesis in diet-fed obese rats.

Curcumin loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles: assessment of bioavailability and cardioprotective effect.

Rhizomes of the plant Curcuma longa has been traditionally used in medicine and culinary practices in India. It possesses various pharmacological effect, namely, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombosis, and anti-apoptotic. The study was undertaken to assess the effect of curcumin and curcumin loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) against doxorubicin (DOX)-induced myocardial toxicity in rats. Furthermore, the study also included the bioavailability estimation of curcumin delivered alone and delivered via mesoporous technology. Cardiotoxicity was produced by cumulative administration of DOX (2.5 mg/kg for two weeks). Curcumin and curcumin loaded mesoporous nanoparticles (MSNs) each 200 mg/kg, po was administered as pretreatment for two weeks and then for two alternate weeks with DOX. The repeated administration of DOX induced cardiomyopathy associated with an antioxidant deficit and increased level of cardiotoxic biomarkers. Pretreatment with curcumin (alone and via MSNs) significantly protected myocardium from the toxic effects of DOX by significantly decreased the elevated level of malondialdehyde and increased the reduced level of reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in cardiac tissue. MSNs based delivery was found superior compared to curcumin delivered alone. Moreover, the results of bioavailability assessment in rats clearly indicated higher Cmax and AUC values in rats when curcumin was administered via MSNs indicating superior bioavailability. The bioavailability of curcumin loaded MSNs, biochemical and histopathology reports support the good cardioprotective effect of curcumin which could be attributed to its increased bioavaibility lead to good antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.

Process Engineering Accelerating an Economic Industrialization Towards a Bio-Based World.

The transition towards a bio-based world is a challenging undertaking. This perspective paper, from an engineering point of view, aims to provide an overview of existing projects and academic disciplines highlighting the potential benefit of increased interdisciplinary exchanges. Furthermore, the current utilization of biomass to produce biogas is discussed, including an economic assessment, showing the need for new strategies of biomass valorization. One solution could be the development of separation processes for the isolation of secondary plant metabolites, which have been especially valuable for pharmaceutical applications, e.g., taxotere ® and artemisinin. The economic feasibility is demonstrated in a case study, evaluating the purification potential of curcuminoids from Curcuma longa L. Subsequently, the conclusion discusses the limitations of large-scale industrial applications and the need for new separation techniques as a step towards a bio-based world.

Report: Assessment of Fumaria indica, Dicliptera bupleuroides and Curcuma zedoaria for their antimicrobial and hemolytic effects.

The present investigation was undertaken to evaluate the antibacterial, antifungal and hemolytic activities of organic and aqueous fractions of Fumaria indica, Dicliptera bupleuroides and Curcuma zedoaria. The methanolic extracts of the plants were dissolved in the water (distilled) separately and then partitioned with the n-hexane, CHCl3, EtOAc and n-BuOH sequentially. Antibacterial activity was checked against Escherichia coli, Pasturella multocida, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus by the disc diffusion method using streptomycin sulphate, a standard antibiotic, as positive control. Antifungal activity was studied against four fungi i.e. Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Ganoderma lucidum and Alternaria alternata by the disc diffusion method using fluconazole, a standard antifungal drug, as positive control. It was revealed that aqueous fraction of F. indica showed very good antibacterial activity against P. multocida with zone of inhibition 26mm and MIC of 98µg/mL. Its CHCl3 and n-BuOH fractions also displayed good results. Its CHCl3 fraction showed good antifungal activity against G. lucidum with zone of inhibition 24mm and MIC of 115µg/mL. Other polar fractions of F. indica showed good activity against somefungal strains. The CHCl3 and EtOAc fractions of D. bupleuroides displayed good antibacterial activity against some bacterial strains. Its EtOAc fraction showed good antifungal activity only against G. lucidum. The CHCl3 fraction of C. zedoaria showed good activity against all studied bacterial strains, while its EtOAc and n-BuOH fractions displayed good results against some bacterial strains. None of the fractions of C. zedoaria displayed antifungal activity against the under test strains. All the studied fractions of three plants showed very less toxicity except n-hexane fraction of D. bupleuroides which showed 79% toxicity.

Assessment of herb-drug synergy to combat doxorubicin induced cardiotoxicity.

Aim Doxorubicin (Dox) is one of the most cardiotoxic anti-cancerous drug that is widely used for broad-range of cancers. There is an urgent need for developing cardio-oncological therapeutic interventions. Natural products having both anti-cancerous potential as well as cardioprotective effects may hold a great potential in this regard. Curcuma longa (an Indian herb) polyphenols including curcumin, and well known for its anti-oxidative and anti-cancerous potential was used in the present study for its synergistic effect on cancer cells and cardiomyocytes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Preliminary dose dependent analysis for cell viability was conducted by MTT and trypan blue assays where the effects of curcumin and Dox on cancer cell progression and cardiotoxicity were studied. Microscopic studies were done to analyse the morphological alterations of cells followed by intracellular ROS production studies by NBT and DCFH-DA assays. Apoptotic cellular death was studied by caspase activity and Annexin/PI FACS analysis. TUNEL assay was done followed by expression analysis of different cellular death biomarkers by quantitative real-time PCR. KEY FINDINGS: We observed that dose dependent cardiotoxicity of Dox can be significantly minimized by supplementing it with curcumin. Curcumin supplementation exaggerates oxidative stress and apoptosis leading to cancer cell death by modulating pro- and anti-apoptotic biomarkers. SIGNIFICANCE: The combination treatment with curcumin results in achieving the desired anti-cancerous effect of Dox without compromising its activity and hence, reduces the possibility of its dose mediated cardiotoxic effects. Hence, curcumin holds a great potential for cardio-oncological therapeutic interventions.

In vivo assessment of plant extracts for control of plant diseases: A sesquiterpene ketolactone isolated from Curcuma zedoaria suppresses wheat leaf rust.

As an alternative to synthetic pesticides, natural materials such as plant extracts and microbes have been considered to control plant diseases. In this study, methanol extracts of 120 plants were explored for in vivo antifungal activity against Rhizoctonia solani, Botrytis cinerea, Phytophthora infestans, Puccinia triticina, and Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei. Of the 120 plant extracts, eight plant extracts exhibited a disease control efficacy of more than 90% against at least one of five plant diseases. In particular, a methanol extract of Curcuma zedoaria rhizomes exhibited strong activity against wheat leaf rust caused by P. triticina. When the C. zedoaria methanol extracts were partitioned with various solvents, the layers of n-hexane, methylene chloride, and ethyl acetate showed disease control values of 100, 80, and 43%, respectively, against wheat leaf rust. From the C. zedoaria rhizome extracts, an antifungal substance was isolated and identified as a sesquiterpene ketolactone based on the mass and nuclear magnetic resonance spectral data. The active compound controlled the development of rice sheath blight, wheat leaf rust, and tomato late blight. Considering the in vivo antifungal activities of the sesquiterpene ketolactone and the C. zedoaria extracts, these results suggest that C. zedoaria can be used as a potent fungicide in organic agriculture.

Assessment of Genetic and Chemical Variability in Curcumae Longae Rhizoma (Curcuma longa) Based on DNA Barcoding Markers and HPLC Fingerprints.

Curcumae Longae Rhizoma (Curcuma longa L.) is an important traditional Chinese medicine with multiple beneficial effects. To elucidate the genetic and chemical differences among Curcumae Longae Rhizoma samples, three DNA barcoding markers (rbcL, matK, and ITS-LSU D1/D3) and HPLC fingerprinting were employed in this study. The discriminatory power of rbcL and matK was low, as they only detected one sequence type that showed 100% similarity with more than 20 congeneric species in the Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) database. In contrast, ITS-LSU D1/D3 showed sufficient discriminatory power to precisely identify all of the market samples as C. longa L. in a BLAST search as well as differentiate each sample based on 2-10 ITS-LSU D1/D3 haplotypes with intragenomic variability (mean p-distance: 0.7%, range: 0-2.6%; mean number of differences: 9.6 sites, range: 0-38 sites). HPLC fingerprinting of 13 commercial samples showed a similarity that ranged from 0.769 to 0.996, indicating that the sample quality varied. A cluster analysis based on 5 common peak areas from the HPLC chromatogram resulted in two groups. Group I included 9 samples with a relatively high chemical content, and group II contained 4 samples with a low chemical content. A Mantel test revealed a low correlation (r=0.1721, p=0.047) between genetic and chemical differences. Our findings suggest that the integrated approach of ITS-LSU D1/D3 DNA barcoding and HPLC fingerprinting provides a comprehensive, precise, and convenient method to clarify the genetic and chemical differences in Curcumae Longae Rhizoma.

Synthesis and biological assessment of novel N-(hydroxy/methoxy)alkyl ß-enaminone curcuminoids.

Curcumin, a natural compound extracted from the rhizomes of Curcuma Longa, is known to display pronounced anticancer activity but lacks good pharmacokinetic properties. In that respect, augmenting the water solubility by structural modification of the curcumin scaffold may result in improved bioavailability and pharmacokinetics. A possible scaffold modification, especially important for this study, concerns the imination of the labile ß-diketone moiety in curcumin. Previous work revealed that novel N-alkyl ß-enaminones showed a similar water solubility as compared to curcumin, accompanied by a stronger anti-proliferative activity. To extend this ß-enaminone compound library, new analogues were prepared in this work using more polar amines (hydroxyalkylamines and methoxyalkylamines instead of alkylamines) with the main purpose to improve the water solubility without compromising the biological activity of the resulting curcuminoids. Compared to their respective parent compounds, i.e. curcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin, the bisdemethoxycurcumin N-(hydroxy/methoxy)alkyl enaminone analogues showed better water solubility, antioxidant and anti-proliferative activities. In addition, the curcumin enaminones displayed activities comparable to or better than curcumin, and the water solubility was improved significantly. The constructed new analogues may thus be of interest for further exploration concerning their impact on oxidative stress related diseases such as cancer.

Assessment of Cytotoxic Activity of Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.), Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.), and Ginger (Zingiber officinale R.) Essential Oils in Cervical Cancer Cells (HeLa).

The objective of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxic activity of rosemary (REO, Rosmarinus officinalis L.), turmeric (CEO, Curcuma longa L.), and ginger (GEO, Zingiber officinale R.) essential oils in HeLa cells. Cytotoxicity tests were performed in vitro, using tetrazolium (MTT) and neutral red assays for evaluation of antiproliferative activity by different mechanisms, trypan blue assay to assess cell viability and evaluation of cell morphology for Giemsa to observe the cell damage, and Annexin V to evaluate cell death by apoptosis. CEO and GEO exhibited potent cytotoxic activity against HeLa cells. IC50 obtained was 36.6 µg/mL for CEO and 129.9 µg/mL for GEO. The morphology of HeLa cells showed condensation of chromatin, loss of cell membrane integrity with protrusions (blebs), and cell content leakage for cells treated with CEO and GEO, from the lowest concentrations studied, 32.81 µg/mL of CEO and 32.12 µg/mL of GEO. The Annexin V assay revealed a profile of cell death by apoptosis for both CEO and GEO. The results indicate cytotoxic activity in vitro for CEO and GEO, suggesting potential use as anticancer agents for cervical cancer cells.

Assessment of metal contents in spices and herbs from Saudi Arabia.

In the recent years, there has been a growing interest in monitoring heavy metal contamination of spices/herbs. Spices and herbs are sources of many bioactive compounds that can improve the tastes of food as well as influence digestion and metabolism processes. In the present study, the levels of some essential and toxic elements such as iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd), present in common spices/herbs that were purchased from the local market in Saudi Arabia, were analyzed by atomic absorption spectroscopy after digestion with nitric acid/hydrogen peroxide mixture. Samples from the following spices/herbs were used: turmeric, cloves, black pepper, red pepper, cumin, legume, cinnamon, abazir, white pepper, ginger, and coriander. The concentration ranges for the studied elements were found as 48.8-231, 4.7-19.4, 2.5-10.5, below detection level (BDL)-1.0, 8.8-490, 1.0-2.6, and BDL-3.7 µg g(-1) for Fe, Zn, Cu, Cr, Mn, Ni, and Pb, respectively, while Cd and Co levels were below the detection limit. Consumers of these spices/herbs would not be exposed to any risk associated with the daily intake of 10 g of spices per day as far as metals Fe, Zn, Cu, Cr, Mn, Ni, and Pb are concerned.

Pilot-scale subcritical solvent extraction of curcuminoids from Curcuma long L.

Curcuminoids consisted curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin, were extracted from turmeric using subcritical solvent by varying conditions of temperature (110-150 °C), time (1-10 min), pressure (5-100 atm), solid-to-solvent ratio, and mixing ratio of solvent. Preliminary lab-scale experiments were conducted to determine the optimum extraction temperature and mixing ratio of water and ethanol for the pilot-scale extraction. The maximum yield of curcuminoids in the pilot-scale system was 13.58% (curcumin 4.94%, demethoxycurcumin 4.73%, and bisdemethoxycurcumin 3.91% in dried extracts) at 135 °C/5 min with water/ethanol mixture (50:50, v/v) as a solvent. On the other hand, the extraction yields of curcuminoids were obtained as 10.49%, 13.71% and 13.96% using the 50%, 95% and 100% ethanol, respectively, at the atmospheric condition (60 °C/120 min). Overall results showed that the subcritical solvent extraction is much faster and efficient extraction method considering extracted curcuminoids contents and has a potential to develop a commercial process for the extraction of curcuminoids.

Chemical variability along the value chains of turmeric (Curcuma longa): a comparison of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and high performance thin layer chromatography.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Herbal medicine value chains have generally been overlooked compared with food commodities. Not surprisingly, revenue generation tends to be weighted towards the end of the chain and consequently the farmers and producers are the lowest paid beneficiaries. Value chains have an impact both on the livelihood of producers and on the composition and quality of products commonly sold locally and globally and consequently on the consumers. In order to understand the impact of value chains on the composition of products, we studied the production conditions for turmeric (Curcuma longa) and the metabolomic composition of products derived from it. We aimed at integrating these two components in order to gain a better understanding of the effect of different value chains on the livelihoods of some producers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This interdisciplinary project uses a mixed methods approach. Case studies were undertaken on two separate sites in India. Data was initially gathered on herbal medicine value chains by means of semi-structured interviews and non-participant observations. Samples were collected from locations in India, Europe and the USA and analysed using (1)H NMR spectroscopy coupled with multivariate analysis software and with high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC). RESULTS: We investigate medicinal plant value chains and interpret the impact different value chains have on some aspects of the livelihoods of producers in India and, for the first time, analytically assess the chemical variability and quality implications that different value chains may have on the products available to end users in Europe. There are benefits to farmers that belonged to an integrated chain and the resulting products were subject to a higher standard of processing and storage. By using analytical methods, including HPTLC and (1)H NMR spectroscopy, it has been possible to correlate some variations in product composition for selected producers and identify strengths and weaknesses of some types of value chains. The two analytical techniques provide different and complementary data and together they can be used to effectively differentiate between a wide variety of crude drug powders and herbal medicinal products. CONCLUSIONS: This project demonstrates that there is a need to study the links between producers and consumers of commodities produced in so-called 'provider countries' and that metabolomics offer a novel way of assessing the chemical variability along a value chain. This also has implications for understanding the impact this has on the livelihood of those along the value chain.

Safety assessment of a solid lipid curcumin particle preparation: acute and subchronic toxicity studies.

Curcumin, a polyphenol, is obtained from turmeric, the ground rhizomes of Curcuma longa L. Extensive research over the past half century has revealed several health benefits of curcumin. The objective of the present study was to investigate potential adverse effects, if any, of a novel solid lipid curcumin particle (SLCP) preparation in rats following acute and subchronic administration. The oral LD50 of the preparation in rats as well as in mice was found to be greater than 2000 mg/kg body weight (bw). In the subchronic toxicity study, Wistar rats (10/sex/group) were administered via oral gavage 0 (control), 180, 360, and 720 mg/kg bw/day of SLCP preparation for 90 days. Administration of the curcumin preparation did not result in any toxicologically significant treatment-related changes in clinical (including behavioral) observations, ophthalmic examinations, body weights, body weight gains, feed consumption, and organ weights. No adverse effects of the curcumin preparation were noted on the hematology, serum chemistry parameters, and urinalysis. Terminal necropsy did not reveal any treatment-related gross or histopathology findings. Based on the results of this study, the No Observed-Adverse-Effect Level (NOAEL) for this standardized novel curcumin preparation was determined as 720 mg/kg bw/day, the highest dose tested.