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
- Curcuminoids (5%)- yellow coloring substance: Curcumin- 60% of total curcuminoids
- Essential oil (6%)- variety of mono and sesquiterpenes like turmerone (30%), ar-turmerone (25%0, zingiberene (25%), α-phellandrene, sabinene etc.
- Arabinose (1%)
- Frustoce (12%)
- Others: Glucose (28%),Starch grains, 1-methyl-4-acetyl-1-cyclohexane, proteins, vitamins, minerals and caprylic acid.
Economic Uses:
- 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.
- Cosmetic uses: well known ingredient in face creams, and effective for fair complexion
- Edible uses: favourite ingredient as spice for every Indian household, also used as coloring and flavoring agent
- Other uses: yellow color for dyeing wool, silk, cotton. Used in Hindu rituals and ceremonies.
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