Turmeric rhizome and powder
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Zingiberaceae
Genus: Curcuma
Species:
C. longa
Binomial name
Curcuma longa
L.
Synonyms
Curcuma domestica Valeton
The Curcuma longa rhizome is densely branched, fleshy, often with tuber-bearing roots. Leaves are basal. Inflorescences are terminally borne in the centre of a leaf tuft or on a separate shoot and sometimes precocious, spike pedunculate, erect.
The country of origin unknown and cultivated throughout the tropics.
Curcuma longa is the source of commercial turmeric.
Turmeric is a rhizome producing perennial plant that has its place in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It’s a herbaceous plant native to the south Asian region. It grows best at temperatures between 20 and 30 °C. It needs substantial rainfall to survive. The rhizomes are collected yearly and propagated and some planted in the succeeding season.
The rhizomes are used either fresh or dried and ground into a powder. To process the rhizomes, boil or steam in water and dried, then ground into powder for use as a flavouring condiment in Asian cuisine and as a colouring agent.
The bright yellow chemical Curcumin, created by Curcuma Longa, is approved as a food additive by the United States Food and Drug Administration, the European Parliament and the World Health Organization.
Although long used in Ayurvedic medicine, there does not seem to be any first-rate clinical evidence for the claim of turmeric or curcumin being used in treating any disease, even though turmeric and curcumin were put through various clinical trials to treat many human diseases. However, there’s some evidence that extracts from turmeric can be beneficial in relieving symptoms of knee osteoarthritis, there is no record of any high-quality results of health benefits or disease control and no scientific evidence on record that it helps to reduce inflammation.
Ayurveda and traditional medicine, however, considers turmeric - Curcuma Longa a valuable herb owing to its innumerable protective and health values, it is used in most food in India as an essential spice.
However, currently, Curcuma Longa enhancements are getting well-known in the west, are used for deterrent and healing purposes.
Turmeric powder extracted from the rhizomes is usually the form used. The rhizomes comprise a rough brownish outer skin covering the darkish orange meat. Curcuma Longa also called “Indian saffron” for its dark yellow-orange colour. It is peppery and warm, bitter flavoured with a distinctive fragrance mildly suggestive of orange and ginger.
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
There are over ninety active elements, contained in Curcuma Longa, most overlap biological actions.
ACTIVE CONSTITUENTS
PHYTOCHEMICALS
The bright orange, yellow, and red colours in Turmeric result from several carotenoids, carotenes, and xanthophylls which convert to vitamin A and supply the needs of the body, which aids to boost the role of the immune system. It similarly helps to fight free radicals and avert heart diseases.
CURCUMINOIDS
Curcuma Longa contains the significant chemical compound Curcuminoids comprise bisdemethoxycurcumin, demethoxycurcumin, and curcumin (diferuloylmethane) compound. The most accountable biological actions of Curcuma Longa are the Curcuminoids. These are the natural polyphenols that go to improve communication between cells. It also helps to control the swelling of tissue and cells in the body.
The principal Curcuminoids in Curcuma Longa are Curcumin. The other important demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin in the Curcuminoids found in Curcuma Longa, act together in neutralizing the factors that cause autoimmune and coronary diseases that typically develop resulting from modest nutrition and contact with pollutants.
Another vital phytochemical in Curcuma Longa is a potent expectorant and antibacterial agent. It aids to reduce gas, aids circulation, stimulates nerves, and improves the elasticity of blood vessels, reduces bad cholesterol prevents the accumulation of platelets and increases bodily strength.
VITAMINS
Curcuma Longa is rich in vital nutrients that contribute towards increasing the overall healthiness of humans, boosting the proper function of the body’s organs. Vitamins A, B, C, and E are included in Curcuma Longa (turmeric)
MINERALS
Turmeric contains phosphorous, calcium, iron, manganese, chromium, selenium, potassium and zinc, in good quantities required for the body’s needs to accomplish various roles.
STARCHES & PROTEINS
Turmeric also has proteins and starches in modest quantities. Nevertheless, even though it is not typically used to fulfil, the body’s vitality needs, its protein and starch content certainly augments the nutritious benefits of Turmeric.
RESINS
Besides proteins and starches, the turmeric rhizomes also contain a fatty element where ether can be used to dissolve along with glucoside, turpethin that decreases pain and swelling.
Turmeric is also responsible for certain Zingiberene, turmerone, and p-tolymehyl essential oils.
TURMERIC HAS ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTIES
Swelling and oxidative pressure are the foremost issues leading to the progress of numerous severe and lingering illnesses as, arthritis, stroke, myocardial infarction, vasculitis, renal failure, hepatitis, and. depression, These types of illnesses are noticeable by the low antioxidant concentration of enzymes, like glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, vitamin E and zinc in plasma. These properties guard cells from responsive oxygen species that have probable damage to proteins, DNA and fatty acids.
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AGENT
Curcumin prevents the inflammatory and other mediators, thereby able to help block the result of inflammation-triggering elements and averts injury to healthy organs, decreasing the risk of a range of diseases.
Curcumin has many benefits and uses. Turmeric is normally used and valued as healing medicine and a spice condiment by the people of Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan and also used as a dye to enhance a bright yellow colour to mustard condiments. Turmeric has been traditionally used in these countries as a medicinal herb owing to its multiple health benefits. The main active ingredient of turmeric, curcumin, handles most of its medicinal properties. The chemical composition, mechanism of action, health benefits, and side effects of turmeric is discussed below.
Curcumin is an effective remedy for the management of Alzheimer’s disease.
Turmeric is useful in the management of arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
It has been demonstrated that the powerful antioxidant effect of turmeric wields a favourable effect in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis. As a powerful antioxidant, it possesses the ability to neutralize the free radicals that can travel throughout the body and cause significant injury to healthy cells and cell membranes including the immune cells, joint tissues, and bones.
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES
Curcumin has properties found to possess cardioprotective actions. It can prevent the oxidation of cholesterol in the body. Cholesterol oxidized is chiefly accountable for causing injury and the build-up of plaques in the blood vessels that leads to hypertension, cardiac failure, and heart attacks. Preventing oxidation of cholesterol can help to reduce the development of atherosclerosis. Turmeric is additionally a rich source of vitamin B6 that helps in preventing the rise in the level of homocysteine, which is an intermediary product freed during a cellular procedure called methylation. It can injure the walls of blood vessels. The high level of homocysteine is reflected as an important risk factor for heart attacks, atherosclerotic plaque build-up, and cardiac failure. The high concentration of vitamin B content, present in Turmeric, can decrease the risk of these diseases by regulatory homocysteine levels.
ORAL HEALTH
Turmeric is useful in maintaining good oral health and a safe alternative treatment option in the area of dentistry.
Turmeric is recognized to have several therapeutic properties like antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, immune-stimulant, antioxidant, anti-mutagenic, also it is an antiseptic.
These help in the many treatments of oral and dental conditions which occur owing to ulcerations and infections. Treatments include oral cancer, aphthous ulcers, oral thrush, gingivitis, and tooth infections. Turmeric can be used as a mouthwash, subgingival irrigant, and pit and fissure sealant.
EFFECTS ON THE BRAIN
Turmeric can intensify the factors in the brain, mainly existing in the brain’s part called the hippocampus that controls the brain functions associated with emotions, and motor skills.
It is also, a protein related to regulating the development of the cells that form nerves and controls numerous functions of the brain that includes, learning, long-term memory and moods also control drinking, body weight and eating. It indicates its significance in regulating and maintaining the consumption of food and a person’s weight.
The reduced levels of BDNF are connected to conditions that affect the brain that causes memory loss, poor learning, depression, cognitive decline, including weight gain.
Turmeric can fight depression and anxiety issues. The action of turmeric circumvents the illnesses of obsessive-compulsive disorders, Alzheimer’s depression, dementia, anxiety disorders, panic disorders, and phobia arising owing to the low levels of BDNF.
Curcumin can control neurotransmission.
CYSTIC FIBROSIS
Curcumin, turmeric’s chief component can support the controlling of cystic fibrosis. Cystic fibrosis is a mortal complaint that affects the lungs. The production of thick mucus characterizes it, hindering breathing and further pulmonary functions. It can cause significant harm to healthy lung tissues, reducing its respiratory efficacy.
CANCER
Studies have shown that turmeric is valuable in managing cancer and can support the deterrence and the cure of several forms of cancer that include breast cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic and colon cancer.
THE DIGESTIVE TRACT
Wide-ranging studies have revealed that curcumin, present in turmeric, can benefit in the cure and inhibition of many complaints that affect inflammation caused in the gastrointestinal tract and complaints that affect the rectum, colon, and the pancreas including ulcerative colitis, ulcerative proctitis, irritable bowel disease, Crohn’s disease and tropical pancreatitis.
Curcumin helps relieve the indications of gastric complaints such as peptic ulcers, and gastritis occurring owing to damage to the mucus linings of the stomach by eating spicy food and prolonged use of anti-inflammatory drugs.