Thai Curcuma Species: Antioxidant and Bioactive Compounds

For the functional food applications, antioxidant properties and the bioactive compounds of the 23 Curcuma species commercially cultivated in Thailand were studied. Total phenolic content and DPPH radical scavenging activity were determined. The concentrations of eight bioactive compounds, including curcumin (1), demethoxycurcumin (2), bisdemethoxycurcumin (3), 1,7-diphenyl-(4E,6E)-4,6-heptadien-3-ol (4), germacrone (5), furanodienone (6), zederone (7), and ar-turmerone (8), were determined from the Curcuma by HPLC. While the total phenolic content of C. longa was highest (22.3 ± 2.4 mg GAE/g, mg of gallic acid equivalents), C. Wan Na-Natong exhibited the highest DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate) radical scavenging activity. Twenty-three Curcuma species showed characteristic distributions of the bioactive compounds, which can be utilized for the identification and authentication of the cultivated Curcuma species. C. longa contained the highest content of curcumin (1) (304.9 ± 0.1 mg/g) and C. angustifolia contained the highest content of germacrone (5) (373.9 ± 1.1 mg/g). It was noteworthy that 1,7-diphenyl-(4E,6E)-4,6-heptadien-3-ol (4) was found only from C. comosa at a very high concentration (300.7 ± 1.4 mg/g). It was concluded that Thai Curcuma species have a great potential for the application of functional foods and ingredients.

Keywords: Curcuma; HPLC; antioxidant; bioactive; curcuminoids; sesquiterpenoids; total phenolic content.