Traditional Uses and Variation in Curcumin Contentin Varieties of Curcuma-the Saffron of India

Abstract

Medicinal plants have hundreds of chemical compounds that are practised in modern and traditional medication to deal with a variety of disorders (Ahn, 2017). Aromatic medicinal plants are plants that produce fragrance and are utilized to treat a range of ailments (Shankar et al., 2015). Curcuma longa is a perennial flowering herb plant native to Southern Asia that belongs to the ginger Zingiberaceae family (Priyadarsini et al., 2003). It is derived from the rhizomes of Curcuma longa and is recognized as the “Golden Spice of India.” It necessitates annual rainfall and a mean temperature of 20 to 30°C (68 to 86°F). It has rhizomes on the stems, elliptical leaves, flowers, and a pedicel with short dense spikes. It can grow to a height of one metre, or 3 feet and three inches. This herb has aromatic rhizomes that are yellowish to orange (Jadhav & Jagadale, 2018). Turmeric is a fragrant medicinal plant that consists of a variety of bioactive compounds. In folk medicine, these compounds were used to treat bile duct diseases, atrophy, cough, diabetic foot ulcer, hepatic dysfunction, rheumatoid arthritis, and sinus infection (Rathod et al., 2019). Because Indian Haldi is of the richest quality, it has become the world’s largest manufacturer and exporter. Erode, in Tamil Nadu, is regarded as the world’s largest producer of turmeric. As a result, it’s also known as Yellow City, Turmeric City and Textile City (Prasad & Aggarwal, 2011). Other leading states in India that grow turmeric include Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Assam, West Bengal, and Odisha (Choudhuri et al., 2018).