Curcuma longa, commonly known as turmeric, is a perennial plant belonging to the Zingiberaceae family. Native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, it is widely cultivated for its rhizomes, which are processed into the spice known as turmeric. This spice is celebrated for its vibrant yellow color and numerous health benefits, making it a key ingredient in Indian cuisine and various Ayurvedic remedies.

Botanical Classification

Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Class: Monocots
Order: Zingiberales
Family: Zingiberaceae
Genus: Curcuma
Species: C. longa

Plant Characteristics

Curcuma longa grows up to a meter in height, featuring broad, lanceolate leaves arranged around thick, short stems. Flowers are rarely seen in cultivation as the plant is primarily grown for its underground rhizomes. The rhizomes have a rough brown skin and an inner flesh that ranges from orange-yellow to deep golden-yellow, depending on the variety.

Chemical Composition and Structure

The primary bioactive compound in the rhizome of Curcuma longa is curcumin, which is responsible for its distinctive color and most of its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. In addition to curcumin, it contains various essential oils that contribute to its unique aromatic profile.

How to Cultivate It

1. Soil: Prefers rich, well-drained, moist soils.
2. Light: Best grown in warm, humid environments with partial shade.
3. Water: Requires ample watering during the growing season, but the soil should never be waterlogged.
4. Temperature: Does not tolerate cold. Ideal temperatures range from 20°C to 30°C.

Uses and Benefits

Turmeric is used both as a spice and as a component in numerous health products. It is known for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and potentially anti-cancer properties. Traditionally, it has been used to treat skin disorders, digestive system ailments, and immune system issues.

Applications

• Culinary: Widely used as a spice in Asian cuisines, especially in the preparation of curries and other spiced dishes.
• Medicinal: Turmeric and curcumin supplements are popular for treating inflammation, joint pain, and other conditions.
• Cosmetic: Turmeric extracts are used in skincare products for their antioxidant and brightening properties.

Environmental and Safety Considerations

Cultivating Curcuma longa is generally safe and does not present significant environmental risks. However, as with all natural products, the use of turmeric should be carefully monitored, especially in individuals with pre-existing medical conditions or those taking regular medications, due to its potent biological properties. Sustainability in cultivation is crucial to maintaining the health of ecosystems where it is grown.

Studies

It has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-apoptotic pharmacological properties. It can be used in the control of the aging process involving oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis. Recently, several reports have suggested that there are several nutraceuticals that have an effect on aging, such as Ginkgo Biloba, Resveratrol and Turmeric.

For its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, Turmeric is used to treat an incredible number of diseases (for review see Kumar et al, 2011;. Gupta et al, 2013; Chin, 2016). Oxidative stress and inflammatory processes have been involved in the pathogenesis of several disorders such as senile dementia and therefore Turmeric extract is considered a drug. Recent studies have focused on the effect that Turmeric has on the aging process (to review see Trujillo et al., 2014), with a focus on the brain. The neural aging process produces a reduction in memory and learning due to anatomical changes such as the reduction in the size of the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus (for a review see Flores et al., 2016a, c) (1).

Inside, we find Curcumin, a polyphenol that has the ability to inhibit the peroxidation of lipids and that can eliminate harmful free radicals (2).

Some species of Turmeric that have healthy aspects similar to the Curcuma longa:

• Curcuma longa
• Curcuma raktakanda
• Curcuma zedoaria 
• Curcuma caesia 
• Curcuma wenyujin
• Curcuma amada
• Curcuma domestica
• Curcuma amada roxb.

Safety

Turmeric is generally used as a safe dietary supplement, however the literature cites several cases of turmeric-induced hepatitis (3).

Turmeric studies

References____________________________________________

(1) Curcuma longa L. extract improves the cortical neural connectivity during the aging process.
Flores G.
Neural Regen Res. 2017 Jun;12(6):875-880. doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.208542. Review.

(2) Motterlini R, Foresti R, Bassi R, et al. Curcumin, an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent, induces heme oxygenase-1 and protects endothelial cells against oxidative stress. Free Radical Bio Med. 2000;28:1303–1312.

(3) Turmeric Induced Liver Injury: A Report of Two Cases.  Luber RP, Rentsch C, Lontos S, Pope JD, Aung AK, Schneider HG, Kemp W, Roberts SK, Majeed A.  Case Reports Hepatol. 2019 Apr 28;2019:6741213. doi: 10.1155/2019/6741213

Abstract. Turmeric is a commonly used oral herbal supplement with purported anti-inflammatory and antineoplastic properties. It is promoted as safe, with limited reports of severe adverse effects directly related to oral turmeric thus far in the literature. Herein we report two cases of turmeric supplement induced severe hepatitis. These cases highlight the need for physicians to be aware of patients taking this common supplement and the potential risks that exist.