Golden Treasure of Ayurveda : “Turmeric” #1

A pinch of Turmeric for wounds, for stomach pain, for allergy, for cold & cough.. this information is inherited by every Indian from their ancestors. And the wonders of turmeric now proved scientifically.

Here is all we want to know about turmeric.

Botanical Name: Curcuma longa Linn. Syn. C. domestica Val.

Family: Zingiberaceae

English Name: Turmeric, Indian Saffron

Golden Treasure of Ayurveda: Turmeric

Indian name:

• Hindi- Haldi
• Assamese: Halodhi
• Bengali: Halud
• Gujrati: Halad, Haldar
• Kannada: Arsthin, Arishina
• Malayalam: Manjal
• Marathi: Halad
• Punjabi: Haldi
• Sanskrit: Hardira, Marmaru
• Tamil: Manjal
• Telugu: Pasupu
• Urdu: Haldi

Foreign Names:

• Arabic: Kurkum, Zarsud
• Burmese: Hsanwen
• Cambodian: Banley, ROmiet
• Chinese: Chiang, Huang
• French: Curcuma
• German: Kurkuma
• Italian: Curcuma
• Persian: Darzardi
• Spanish: Curcuma

In India turmeric has been used since ancient times on religious occasions as a spice as well as an important ingredient of many Ayurvedic medicines.

Turmeric Plant

Physical Morphology:

• 60-100 cm height with short stem
• Rhizomes are short, thick, ovoid, cylindrical, light yellow in color.
• Leaves are tufted, 1-1.5m, petiole as long as blade, peduncle & found covered with sheathing petiole
• Flowers are dense, compound with enlarged and plae-green bracts
• Spikes are 10-12 cm long and 5 cm in diameter.
• Calyz is short and cylindrical
• Sepals are free, imbricate, white in color and obtusely toothed.
• Corolla is funnel shaped.
• Ovary is 3 celled, many ovuled with filiform style and blipped stigma

Geographical Distribution:

• Native to Suthern Asia
• Tropical regions upto the altitude of 1000-1200 m.
• India, China, Pakistan, Malaya, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Jamaica.
• India- Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Assam, Rajasthan, Kumaon, Dehradun and Garhwal

Varieties:

• 70 species of Curcuma are widely distributed.
• India is home to about 18 species including C.amada, C. angustifolia, C. aromatica, C. domestica, C. xanthonrhiza, C. caesia, C. zedoaria, and C. longa.
• Longa is more imp because of its use as spice and condiment, and as an inflammatory and antiseptic drug.
• Varities cultivated in India
  • Deshi & patani: Assam & Bengal, better color and flavor
  • Erode talukas: Madras, highly valued in market
  • PTS-10, PTS 24, T-Sunder, Kasturi-pushpa, madras-magal, kathadi, Suvarna, Rajatrekha, Phoolbani local, Pratibha and Nooriprabha are also cultivated.

Parts Used: Fresh and dried rhizomes, somtime fresh leaves also

Chemical Constituents: C.longa

1. Curcuminoids (5%)- yellow coloring substance: Curcumin- 60% of total curcuminoids
2. Essential oil (6%)- variety of mono and sesquiterpenes like turmerone (30%), ar-turmerone (25%0, zingiberene (25%), α-phellandrene, sabinene etc.
3. Arabinose (1%)
4. Frustoce (12%)
5. Others: Glucose (28%),Starch grains, 1-methyl-4-acetyl-1-cyclohexane, proteins, vitamins, minerals and caprylic acid.

Economic Uses:

1. Therapeutic Uses: most commonly used as anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antioxidant and remedy for cold & cough in every house. Research has shown its promising use as an anti-cancer drug. Other uses includes diuretic, hemostatic, constipation, blood purification, skin diseases etc.
2. Cosmetic uses: well known ingredient in face creams, and effective for fair complexion
3. Edible uses: favourite ingredient as spice for every Indian household, also used as coloring and flavoring agent
4. Other uses: yellow color for dyeing wool, silk, cotton. Used in Hindu rituals and ceremonies.

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