Indian saffron

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Turmeric
• Turmeric
• Indian-saffron
• common turmeric

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Curcuma ochrorhiza
• Curcuma tinctoria
• Curcuma longa var. vanaharidra
• Curcuma soloensis
• Amomum curcuma
• Curcuma domestica
• Curcuma brog

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Zingiberales, it is classified under the family Zingiberaceae. Ultimately, its taxonomic identity is defined by the genus Curcuma, specifically the species Curcuma longa.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution across several tropical regions. In West Tropical Africa, it can be found growing in Guinea-Bissau and the Ivory Coast. Its presence extends into West-Central Tropical Africa, specifically within the Congo and the Gulf of Guinea Islands. Additionally, the species is located within the Western Indian Ocean, notably in the Comoros. These various locations highlight the plant's ability to thrive in different humid, tropical environments.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Curcuma longa is characterized by a specific altitudinal distribution that dictates its preferred growing environments. This species thrives across a broad elevational gradient, ranging from sea level up to a maximum of 1200 m AMSL. The ecological niche of the plant is most frequently centered around a mean elevation of approximately 400 m AMSL, suggesting a preference for lowland to mid-elevation tropical or subtropical habitats. This range indicates that while it can adapt to slightly higher mountainous terrains, it is most optimally suited to the warm, humid conditions typically found at lower altitudes.

Elevational range max:

1200 m AMSL

Elevational range mean:

400 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Genetics

The genetics of Curcuma longa are characterized by a complex chromosomal architecture and varying genomic configurations. The species exhibits significant chromosomal variation, with recorded chromosome numbers including 32, 62, and 64. Regarding its genomic structure, the plant is typically identified with a ploidy level of 2, indicating a diploid state in its standard reproductive framework. This genetic variability plays a crucial role in the plant's evolutionary adaptation and its ability to synthesize diverse secondary metabolites.

Chromosome number :

32,62,64

Ploidy :

2

Life history

The life history of Curcuma longa is characterized by its existence as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons. As a geophyte, it relies on its specialized underground rhizomes to store nutrients and survive unfavorable environmental conditions, which also classifies it within the broader category of a cryptophyte, as its vital organs are protected below the soil surface. The plant exhibits a deciduous nature, meaning that the aerial parts of the plant die back or wither away during dormant periods, leaving the rhizome to remain active underground until the next favorable cycle begins.

Deciduousness :

deciduous

Life form :

geophyte

Life form :

cryptophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Curcuma longa is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb, specifically classified as a forb. It is a terrestrial plant that grows independently, functioning as neither an epiphyte nor a parasite. The plant exhibits a self-supporting climbing habit, though it does not require external structures for support. Its shoot orientation is distinctly erect, reaching a height that typically ranges from a minimum of 0.5 m to a maximum of 1.5 m, with a mean plant height of approximately 0.9 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

1.5 m

Plant height mean:

0.9 m

Plant height min:

0.5 m

Shoot orientation :

erect

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Curcuma longa is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its carbon fixation processes and metabolic efficiency in varying environmental conditions. The vegetative structure features prominent foliage with leaf lengths typically ranging from a minimum of 30 cm to a maximum of 50 cm, while the leaf width varies between 8 cm and 18 cm. This plant does not exhibit succulence, maintaining standard leaf tissue density rather than specialized water-storing structures. Furthermore, Curcuma longa does not function as a nitrogen fixer, meaning it relies on external soil nitrogen availability for its nutritional requirements rather than symbiotic biological nitrogen fixation.

Leaf length max:

50 cm

Leaf length min:

30 cm

Leaf width max:

18 cm

Leaf width min:

8 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Succulence :

no

Reproduction

Reproduction in Curcuma longa is characterized by its specific flowering structures and mechanisms of seed distribution. The plant produces an inflorescence that typically measures between 0.1 m and 0.2 m in length. The flowers within this arrangement exhibit a distinct green color. Regarding the movement of its seeds and reproductive units, the plant follows an anthropochorous dispersal syndrome, meaning its distribution is significantly influenced by human activities.

Dispersal syndrome :

anthropochorous

Flower colour :

green

Inflorescence length max:

0.2 m

Inflorescence length min:

0.1 m

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Curcuma longa has 5 reported plant parts identified across 74 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include rhizome, root, leaf, stem, seed.

Rhizome

1. African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM
2. Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin
3. Current drug targets
4. Natural product research
5. European journal of drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics

Root

1. Cell biochemistry and biophysics
2. Journal of equine veterinary science
3. Orvosi hetilap
4. Journal of natural products
5. Virology journal

Leaf

1. Natural product communications
2. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology
4. Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)
5. Frontiers in veterinary science

Stem

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. PeerJ

Seed

1. Frontiers in pharmacology

Chemicals

Curcuma longa has 273 reported phytochemicals identified across 74 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include curcumin, Curcuminoids, Demethoxycurcumin, Bisdemethoxycurcumin, Flavonoids.

curcumin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytotherapy research : PTR
3. Current medicinal chemistry
4. Current microbiology
5. Current drug targets

Curcuminoids

1. Dr. Duke
2. Cell biochemistry and biophysics
3. Protoplasma
4. Journal of cellular physiology
5. Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands)

Demethoxycurcumin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Biomedical chromatography : BMC
3. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials
4. Journal, genetic engineering & biotechnology
5. Current pharmaceutical design

Bisdemethoxycurcumin

1. Biomedical chromatography : BMC
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Journal of cellular physiology
4. Journal, genetic engineering & biotechnology
5. Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention : APJCP

Flavonoids

1. Dr. Duke
2. Food science & nutrition
3. Open life sciences
4. Journal of ethnopharmacology
5. Frontiers in veterinary science

ar-Turmerone

1. Dr. Duke
2. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Foods (Basel, Switzerland)
5. Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention : APJCP

Diferuloylmethane

1. Current drug targets
2. Natural product reports
3. Current medicinal chemistry
4. Indian journal of physiology and pharmacology
5. Experimental parasitology

Phenols

1. Food science & nutrition
2. CNS & neurological disorders drug targets
3. Biofouling
4. BMC chemistry
5. Phytotherapy research : PTR

TERPINOLENE

1. Dr. Duke
2. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Foods (Basel, Switzerland)
5. Waste management (New York, N.Y.)

Tannins

1. Food chemistry: X
2. Frontiers in veterinary science
3. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Asian Pacific journal of tropical medicine
5. BMC chemistry

Activities

Curcuma longa has 673 reported activities identified across 74 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Anticancer, Antibacterial, Antimicrobial, Neuroprotective.

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of clinical medicine
3. Current drug targets
4. Pharmaceutics
5. Food chemistry: X

Anticancer

1. Dr. Duke
2. Current drug targets
3. Pharmaceutics
4. Food chemistry: X
5. Current medicinal chemistry

Antibacterial

1. Dr. Duke
2. Pharmaceutics
3. BMC complementary medicine and therapies
4. Cell biochemistry and biophysics
5. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)

Antimicrobial

1. Frontiers in pharmacology
2. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie
3. BMC complementary medicine and therapies
4. Veterinary world
5. Journal of the science of food and agriculture

Neuroprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. Frontiers in pharmacology
3. Frontiers in nutrition
4. Inflammopharmacology
5. Journal of chemical neuroanatomy

Antifungal

1. Pharmaceutics
2. Frontiers in bioscience (Landmark edition)
3. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)
4. BMC complementary medicine and therapies
5. ACS omega

Antiviral

1. Dr. Duke
2. Current drug targets
3. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)
4. International journal of molecular sciences
5. Current pharmaceutical design

Antiinflammatory

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytotherapy research : PTR
3. Recent patents on inflammation & allergy drug discovery
4. Current pharmaceutical biotechnology
5. Methods and findings in experimental and clinical pharmacology

Chemopreventive

1. Dr. Duke
2. Natural product reports
3. Mutation research
4. Journal of cellular physiology
5. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Antitumor

1. Dr. Duke
2. Frontiers in nutrition
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology
4. Cell biochemistry and function
5. Ai zheng = Aizheng = Chinese journal of cancer

Conditions

Curcuma longa has 366 reported investigations on conditions identified across 74 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include cancer, inflammation, oxidative stress, Alzheimer's disease, COVID-19.

Cancer

1. Scientific reports
2. Frontiers in immunology
3. Food chemistry
4. Current medicinal chemistry
5. Journal of advanced pharmaceutical technology & research

Inflammation

1. Frontiers in pharmacology
2. Frontiers in plant science
3. Food science & nutrition
4. Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz
5. Journal of materials science. Materials in medicine

Oxidative stress

1. Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands)
2. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
3. Food science & nutrition
4. BMC complementary and alternative medicine
5. Journal of materials science. Materials in medicine

Alzheimer's disease

1. Current drug targets
2. Journal of molecular modeling
3. Food chemistry
4. British journal of pharmacology
5. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Covid-19

1. Photochemical & photobiological sciences : Official journal of the European Photochemistry Association and the European Society for Photobiology
2. Protein and peptide letters
3. Alternative therapies in health and medicine
4. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)
5. Computers in biology and medicine

Antioxidant

1. Frontiers in nutrition
2. Veterinary world
3. Food science & nutrition
4. Cell biochemistry and function
5. Food chemistry

Breast cancer

1. Current pharmaceutical design
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Food science & nutrition
4. Biomolecules
5. Journal of biomaterials applications

Obesity

1. Current medicinal chemistry
2. Journal of integrative medicine
3. Journal of biomolecular structure & dynamics
4. Advances in experimental medicine and biology
5. International journal of molecular sciences

Arthritis

1. Current drug targets
2. Pharmaceutics
3. Molecular biology reports
4. Phytotherapy research : PTR
5. Polski merkuriusz lekarski : organ Polskiego Towarzystwa Lekarskiego

Wound healing

1. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie
2. Frontiers in plant science
3. Indian journal of physiology and pharmacology
4. The international journal of lower extremity wounds
5. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Preparations

Curcuma longa has 121 reported preparations identified across 74 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include curcumin, extracts, rhizomes, aqueous extracts, ethanolic extracts.

Curcumin

1. Current drug targets
2. Current medicinal chemistry
3. Journal of neuroscience research
4. Indian journal of physiology and pharmacology
5. Journal of integrative medicine

Extracts

1. Experimental biology and medicine (Maywood, N.J.)
2. Caspian journal of internal medicine
3. Oncology reports
4. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences
5. Phytotherapy research : PTR

Rhizomes

1. Life (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences
3. Biochemistry
4. Preparative biochemistry & biotechnology
5. Journal of complementary & integrative medicine

Aqueous extracts

1. Phytotherapy research : PTR
2. The Indian journal of medical research
3. Dose-response : a publication of International Hormesis Society
4. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Ethanolic extracts

1. Parasitology
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Fitoterapia
4. BioMed research international

Extract

1. Scientific reports
2. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
3. Veterinary research communications
4. International journal of molecular medicine

Methanolic extract

1. ACS combinatorial science
2. Veterinary research communications
3. Inflammation research : official journal of the European Histamine Research Society ... [et al.]
4. Journal of food science

Curcumin

1. Virology journal
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Environmental research

Aqueous extract

1. The Tokai journal of experimental and clinical medicine
2. Alternative therapies in health and medicine
3. International journal of molecular medicine

Essential oils

1. Journal of food protection
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM