Abstract

A REVIEW ON PHARMACOLOGICAL POTENTIAL OF CURCUMA LONGA (TURMERIC)

Suresh Kumar Channaveeraiah and Keshamma Entoori*

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Abstract

Turmeric (Curcuma logna) is a perennial herb and member of the Zingiberaceae (ginger) family has been widely cultivated in India and its neighboring countries and is also used in the household of the Indian sub-continent as a spice. The active constituents of turmeric are the flavonoid curcumin (diferuloylmethane) and various volatile oils, including tumerone, atlantone, and zingiberone. Turmeric is an approved food additive and is commercially available at low cost. Indigenous systems of medicine, including the Ayurvedic systems, have widely used turmeric for centuries in the treatment of many inflammatory conditions and diseases such as biliary disorders, anorexia, cough, diabetic wounds, hepatic disorders, rheumatism and sinusitis. Today, turmeric has found application all over the world in various purposes such as medicinal purpose, cosmetic purpose, dyeing, skin care and coloring purpose. Hence, in the present narrative review of literature we aimed to describe and delineate on the pharmacological potential of C. longa and its major phytoactive curcumin to indicate C. longa is a versatile indigenous plant to the Indian subcontinent, and could be promoted for diversified applications like medicinal and other therapeutic purposes.

Keywords: Curcuma longa, Turmeric, Curcumin, Pharmacological potential.