Explanation about Turmeric, Origin, its Classification, Medicinal benefits and General Usage of Turmeric. This material is useful for UG and PG Courses

1. GOLDEN SPICE OF
INDIA
Curcuma longa
Dr.V.Vijaya
Assistant Professor of Botany
E.M.G. Yadava Women’s College
Madurai -14
Tamil nadu.
&
Ms. B.Muthu
III B.Sc. Zoology, 18ZOO19
E.M.G. Yadava Women’s College
Madurai -14
Tamil nadu.

2. INTRODUCTION
❖ Turmeric is native to tropical South Asia.
❖ Occurs widely in the tropical areas of Asia
❖ As many as 133 species of Curcuma have been identified worldwide.
❖ Curcuma longa is referred to as common turmeric or yellow root.
❖ It is a relative of ginger.
❖ India produces nearly all of the world’s turmeric crop and consumes 80% of it.
❖ Indian turmeric is considered to be the best in the world.
❖ Erode, a city in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is the world’s largest
producer of and the most important trading centre for turmeric. It is also known
as “Yellow City,” “Turmeric City”.
❖ Sangli, a city of Maharashtra, is second. Only to Erode in size and importance
as a production and trading site for turmeric.
❖ Turmeric has been put to use as a foodstuff, cosmetic, and medicine.

3. VARIOUS NAMES
► Binomial Name: Curcuma longa (based on the Latin)
► The name turmeric derives from the Latin word terra merita (meritorious earth), referring to
the colour of ground turmeric, which resembles a mineral pigment.
► In North India, turmeric is commonly called “haldi,” a word derived from the Sanskrit
word haridra
► In the south it is called “manjal,” a word that is frequently used in ancient Tamil literature
► It is known as terre merite in French
► It is known simply as “yellow root” in many languages
► In Sanskrit, turmeric has at least 53 different names, including bhadra (auspicious or
lucky), bahula (plenty), dhirgharaja (long in appearance), gandhaplashika (which produces
good smell), gharshani (to rub), haldi (that draws attention to its bright color), haridra (dear
to Hari, Lord Krishna), hemaragi (exhibits golden color), jayanti (one that wins over
diseases), jawarantika (which cures fevers), kashpa (killer of worms), mehagni (killer of
fat), nishawa (clears darkness and imparts color), patwaluka (perfumed
powder), pavitra (holy), pinja (yellow-red powder), ratrimanika (as beautiful as
moonlight), shifa (fibrous root), varavarnini (which gives fair complexion), varna
datri (enhancer of body complexion), vishagni (killer of poison) and yuvati (young girl).

4. CLASSIFICATION:
Kingdom : Plantae
Subphylum : Angiospermae
Class : Monocotyledonae
Family : Zingiberaceae
Genus : Curcuma

5. MORPHOLOGY
► Rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant
► Individual plants grow to a height of 1 m.
► They have long leaves with long petioles (leaf stems).
► The leaves emerge from the branching rhizomes that lie just
below the soil surface.
► The hermaphrodite flowers are zygomorphic and threefold.
► The small yellow-orange flowers are borne in the axils of waxy
bracts that are usually pale green or tinged with purple.
► The three bright-yellow petals are fused into a corolla tube up to
3 cm (1.2 in) long.
► Plants are gathered annually for their rhizomes, and are reseeded
from some of those rhizomes in the following season.

6. MORPHOLOGY
❑ The rhizome is tuberous, with a rough segmented skin.
❑ The rhizomes mature beneath the foliage in the ground.
❑ They are yellowish brown with a dull orange interior.
❑ The main rhizome is pointed or tapered at the distal end, with smaller tubers
branching off.
❑ The main rhizome measures 2.5–7.0 cm (1–3 inches) in length and 2.5 cm (1 inch) in
diameter.
❑ Fingers usually range in size from 2.5 to7.5 cm
in length and may be over 1 cm in diameter
❑ Buds are also seen.

9. TECHNIQUES OF CULTIVATION
► Needs temperatures between 20°C and 30°C and a considerable amount of annual rainfall
to thrive.
► It thrives best in well-drained sandy or clay loam soils with a pH range of 4.5-7.5 with good
organic status.
► It is a 7 to 10 month crop sown in June/July and harvested in February/march.
► The preferred method is through Rhizome propagation.
► Whole or split mother and finger rhizomes are used for planting and well developed
healthy and disease free rhizomes are to be selected.
► The seed rhizomes are cut into single buds with small piece of rhizomes weighing 5-7 g.
► Planting Pits are filled with well decomposed cattle manure or compost, seed rhizomes are
placed over it then covered with soil.
► Manure and fertilisers as recommended after soil test.
► The crop is to be mulched immediately after planting with green leaves. Mulching may be
repeated at 40 and 90 days after planting, after weeding, application of fertilizers and
earthing up.
► Weeding has to be done thrice at 60, 90 and 120 days after planting depending upon weed
intensity
► About 15 to 23 irrigations are to be given in clayey soils and 40 irrigations in sandy loams.

10. OTHER METHODS OF CULTIVATION
► Only 5 to 6 plants can be obtained from a single
rhizome. Rapid multiplication through tissue culture
may be a solution. At the same time tissue culture
costs a lot.
►Transplanting: The technique involves raising
transplants from single sprout seed rhizomes in the
pro-tray and planted in the field after 30-40 days
►Mixed cropping: Turmeric can be grown as an
intercrop in coconut and arecanut plantations. It can
also be raised as a mixed crop with chillies, colocasia,
onion, brinjal and cereals like maize, ragi, etc.

11. POST HARVEST PROCESSING
► The harvested turmeric rhizomes are converted into a stable commodity through
boiling, drying and polishing.
► Boiling of turmeric is taken up within 3 or 4 days after harvest. The fingers and bulbs
are separated and are boiled separately.
► Drying: The cooked fingers are dried in the sun by spreading in 5-7 cm thick layers on
the drying floor. It may take 10-15 days for the rhizome to become completely dry. Solar
tunnel driers are also used.
► Polishing and colouring: Dried turmeric has poor appearance and rough dull outer
surface with scales and root bits. The appearance is improved by smoothening and
polishing the outer surface by manual or mechanical rubbing. The turmeric is also
polished in power operated drums.
PRESERVATION OF SEED RHIZOMES
► Stored by heaping in well ventilated rooms and covered with turmeric leaves for seed
purpose.
► Stored in pits with saw dust, sand along with leaves of Stychnos nux-vomica (Kanjiram).
The pits are to be covered with wooden planks with one or two openings for aeration.

12. Leaf blotch is caused by Taphrina maculans and appears as small, oval, rectangular or
irregular brown spots on either side of the leaves which become dirty yellow or dark brown.
The leaves also turn yellow. In severe cases the plants present a scorched appearance and the
rhizome yield is reduced. The disease can be controlled by spraying mancozeb 0.2%.
Leaf spot:
It is caused by Colletotrichum capsici and appears as brown spots of various sizes on
the upper surface of the young leaves. The spots are irregular in shape and white or grey in
the centre. Later, two or more spots may coalesce and form an irregular patch covering almost
the whole leaf. The affected leaves eventually dry up. The rhizomes do not develop well. The
disease can be controlled by spraying carbendazim (0.5 kg/ha) or mancozeb (0.2 %) or copper
oxychloride (0.2%).
Rhizome rot:
It is caused by Pythium aphanidermatum. The lower leaves of the infected
pseudostem show yellowing, collar region of the pseudo stem becomes soft and water
soaked, resulting in decay of rhizomes. Treating the stored seed rhizomes with mancozeb
0.3% prevents the disease. When the disease is noticed in the field, beds should be drenched
with COC 0.2% or Metalaxyl -mancozeb 0.125%.
PLANT DISEASES AND PESTS

13. Nematode pests:
Root knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) and
burrowing nematode (Radopholus similis) are the two
important nematodes causing damage to turmeric.
We should use only healthy, nematode-free planting material.
Increasing the organic content of the soil also checks the multiplication
of nematodes. Pochonia chlamydosporia can be applied to the beds at
the time of sowing @ 20 g/bed (106 cfu/g) for nematode problems.
Insect pests:
Shoot borer (Conogethes punctiferalis) is one of the most serious
pest. The larvae bore into pseudo stems and feed on internal tissues.
The presence of a bore-hole on the pseudo stem through which frass is
extruded and the withered central shoot is a characteristic symptom of
pest infestation.
The adult is a medium sized moth with a wingspan of about 20 mm; the
wings are orange-yellow with minute black spots. Fully-grown larvae are
light brown with sparse hairs.

14. HEALTH BENEFITS

15. Natural Anti-Inflammatory Compound
► Inflammation helps your body fight foreign invaders and also has a role in repairing
damage.
► Without inflammation, pathogens like bacteria could easily take over your body and
kill you.
► Although acute, short-term inflammation is beneficial, it can become a major
problem when it becomes chronic and inappropriately attacks your body’s own
tissues.
► Scientists now believe that chronic, low-level inflammation plays a major role in
almost every chronic Western disease. This includes heart disease, cancer, metabolic
syndrome, Alzheimer’s and various degenerative conditions.
► Therefore, anything that can help fight chronic inflammation is of potential
importance in preventing and even treating these diseases.
► Curcumin is strongly anti-inflammatory. In fact, it’s so powerful that it matches the
effectiveness of some anti-inflammatory drugs, without the side effects.
► It blocks NF-kB, a molecule that travels into the nuclei of your cells and turns on
genes related to inflammation. NF-kB is believed to play a major role in many
chronic diseases.
► Curcumin is a bioactive substance that fights inflammation at the molecular level.

16. Increases the Antioxidant Capacity
► Oxidative damage is believed to be one of the mechanisms behind aging and
many diseases.
► It involves free radicals, highly reactive molecules with unpaired electrons.
► Free radicals tend to react with important organic substances, such as fatty
acids, proteins or DNA.
► The main reason antioxidants are so beneficial is that they protect your body
from free radicals.
► Curcumin is a potent antioxidant that can neutralize free radicals due to its
chemical structure.
► In addition, curcumin boosts the activity of your body’s own antioxidant
enzymes.
► In that way, curcumin delivers a one-two punch against free radicals. It blocks
them directly, then stimulates your body’s own antioxidant defences.

17. Lower Risk of Brain Diseases
► Back in the day, it was believed that neurons weren’t able to divide and multiply after early
childhood.
► However, it’s now known that this does happen.
► Neurons are capable of forming new connections, but in certain areas of the brain they can
also multiply and increase in number.
► One of the main drivers of this process is brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is
a type of growth hormone that functions in your brain.
► Many common brain disorders have been linked to decreased levels of this hormone,
including depression and Alzheimer’s disease.
► Interestingly, curcumin can increase brain levels of BDNF.
► By doing this, it may be effective in delaying or even reversing many brain diseases and age-
related decreases in brain function.
► It may also improve memory and make you smarter, which seems logical given its effects on
BDNF levels. However, controlled studies in people are needed to confirm this.

18. Lowers Risk of Heart Disease
► Heart disease is the number 1 cause of death in the world.
► Researchers have studied it for many decades and learned a lot about why it happens.
► Unsurprisingly, heart disease is incredibly complicated and various things contribute to it.
► Curcumin may help reverse many steps in the heart disease process.
► Perhaps the main benefit of curcumin when it comes to heart disease is improving the
function of the endothelium, which is the lining of your blood vessels.
► It’s well known that endothelial dysfunction is a major driver of heart disease and involves an
inability of your endothelium to regulate blood pressure, blood clotting and various other factors.
► Several studies suggest that curcumin leads to improvements in endothelial function. One study
found that it’s as effective as exercise while another shows that it works as well as the drug
Atorvastatin.
► In addition, curcumin reduces inflammation and oxidation, which play a role in heart disease as
well.
► One study randomly assigned 121 people, who were undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery,
either a placebo or 4 grams of curcumin per day, a few days before and after the surgery.
► The curcumin group had a 65% decreased risk of experiencing a heart attack in the
hospital.

19. Prevents Cancer
► Cancer is a terrible disease, characterized by uncontrolled cell growth.
► There are many different forms of cancer, which still have several things in common. Some of
them appear to be affected by curcumin supplements.
► Turmeric has been studied as a beneficial herb in cancer treatment and been found to affect
cancer growth, development and spread at the molecular level.
► Studies have shown that it can contribute to the death of cancerous cells and reduce angiogenesis
(growth of new blood vessels in tumours) and metastasis (spread of cancer).
► Multiple studies indicate that curcumin can reduce the growth of cancerous cells in the
laboratory and inhibit the growth of tumours in test animals.
► Whether high-dose curcumin (preferably with an absorption enhancer like piperine) can help
treat cancer in humans has yet to be studied properly.
► However, there is evidence that it may prevent cancer from occurring in
the first place, especially cancers of the digestive system like colorectal cancer.
► In a 30-day study in 44 men with lesions in the colon that sometimes turn
cancerous, 4 grams of curcumin per day reduced the number of lesions by 40% .
► Maybe curcumin will be used along with conventional cancer treatment one
day. It’s too early to say for sure, but it looks promising and is being intensively
studied.

20. Prevents Alzheimer’s Disease
► Alzheimer’s disease is the most common neurodegenerative disease
in the world and a leading cause of dementia.
► Unfortunately, no good treatment is available for Alzheimer’s yet.
► Therefore, preventing it from occurring in the first place is of utmost
importance.
► There may be good news on the horizon because curcumin has been
shown to cross the blood-brain barrier.
► It’s known that inflammation and oxidative damage play a role in
Alzheimer’s disease, and curcumin has beneficial effects on both.
► In addition, a key feature of Alzheimer’s disease is a build up of
protein tangles and amyloid plaques. Studies show that curcumin can
help clear these plaques.
► Whether curcumin can really slow down or even reverse the
progression of Alzheimer’s disease in people is currently unknown
and needs to be studied properly.

21. Curcumin’s Benefits Against Depression
► Curcumin has shown some promise in treating depression.
► In a controlled trial, 60 people with depression were randomized into three groups.
► One group took Prozac, another group one gram of curcumin and the third group both
Prozac and curcumin.
► After 6 weeks, curcumin had led to improvements that were similar to Prozac. The group
that took both Prozac and curcumin fared best.
► According to this small study, curcumin is as effective as an antidepressant.
► Depression is also linked to reduced levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and
a shrinking hippocampus, a brain area with a role in learning and memory.
► Curcumin boosts BDNF levels, potentially reversing some of these changes.
► There is also some evidence that curcumin can boost the brain neurotransmitters
serotonin and dopamine.

22. Curcumin And Arthritis
► Arthritis is a common problem in Western countries.
► There are several different types, most of which involve inflammation in the joints.
► Given that curcumin is a potent anti-inflammatory compound, it makes sense that it may
help with arthritis.
► Several studies show this to be true.
► In a study in people with rheumatoid arthritis, curcumin was even more effective than an
anti-inflammatory drug.
► Many other studies have looked at the effects of curcumin on arthritis and noted
improvements in various symptoms
Curcumin Helps to Delay Aging
❑ If curcumin can really help prevent heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s, it would have
obvious benefits for longevity.
❑ For this reason, curcumin has become very popular as an anti-aging supplement.
❑ But given that oxidation and inflammation are believed to play a role in aging, curcumin
may have effects that go way beyond just preventing disease.

23. Absorption of turmeric in your body
► All your health benefits of turmeric are from curcumin.
► Most of the studies on this herb are using turmeric extracts that contain
mostly curcumin itself, with dosages usually exceeding 1 gram per day.
► Turmeric is only about 3% curcumin.
► Unfortunately, curcumin is poorly absorbed into the bloodstream
► So, occasional a cup of turmeric tea won’t be a cure.
► If you want to increase the absorption and the effects of curcumin, use
pineapple.
► Bromelain, a protein in pineapple makes it easy.
► We helps to consume black pepper with turmeric, which contains
piperine, a natural substance that enhances the absorption of curcumin
by 2,000%
► Without this substance most of your, curcumin passes through your
digestive track!

24. READY MADE TURMERIC
❖Turmeric powder
❖Turmeric essential oil
❖Curcumin Supplement tablets
❖Turmeric shots
❖Turmeric essence
❖Turmeric and pepper infused ghee
❖Turmeric paste
❖Turmeric tonic
❖ curcumin gummies

25. TURMERIC FOOD
► Turmeric is used in manufactured food products such as canned beverages, dairy
products, baked products, ice cream, yellow cakes, yogurt, orange juice, biscuits,
popcorn, sweets, cake icings, cereals, sauces, and gelatines.
► It is a significant ingredient in most commercial curry powders.
► Turmeric has numerous uses in Asian cuisine.
► It is used in savoury and sweet dishes, and is widely used in Eastern specialties
such as fresh turmeric pickle.

26. Turmeric and ginger energy balls

27. BEAUTY HACKS - TURMERIC
❑Turmeric face wash
❑Foundation made of turmeric
❑Turmeric infused soap
❑Turmeric face pack
❑Turmeric spa creams
❑Turmeric lip balm
❑Nail repair and growth
❑Minimizes dark circles
❑Natural hair remover
❑Acne remedy
❑Crack heals will become
invisible
❑turmeric tooth whitening paste

28. ❖ Turmeric and other spices are commonly sold by weight
❖ Powders of toxic, cheaper agents with a similar colour to be added,
such as lead(II,IV) oxide ("red lead").
❖ These additives give turmeric an orange-red colour instead of its
native gold-yellow
❖ US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued import alerts from
2013 to 2019 on turmeric originating in India and Bangladesh.
❖ Lead detection in turmeric products led to recalls across the United
States, Canada, Japan, Korea, and the United Kingdom through 2016.
❖ Lead chromate, a bright yellow chemical compound, was found as an
adulterant of turmeric in Bangladesh
❖ Where the contamination levels were up to 500 times higher than the
national limit.
❖ Researchers identified a chain of sources adulterating the turmeric
with lead chromate: from farmers to merchants selling low-grade
turmeric roots to "polishers" who added lead chromate for yellow
colour enhancement, to wholesalers for market distribution, all
unaware of the potential consequences of lead toxicity.
❖ Another common adulterant in turmeric, metanil yellow (also known
as acid yellow 36), is considered by the British Food Standards
Agency as an illegal dye for use in foods.
ADULTERATION IN TURMERIC

29. Turmeric And Tradition
❑ Cone shaped turmeric paste is considered as lord Ganesha.
❑ Turmeric plant is tied to the pots during Pongal festival.
❑ Turmeric powder or turmeric water is sprayed during festivals.
❑ There is a ritual called ‘nalangu vaithal’ in which bride and bride groom have
turmeric paste on their face applied by friends and family.
❑ People use turmeric along with kumkum to invite others.
❑ Even invitations carry turmeric on the corners.
❑ Return gift is remarked with ‘manja pai.’
❑ ‘Manjal neeratu vizha’ , a festival celebrated when girls attain puberty.
❑ ‘Mangal sutra’ or ‘thali’ is also made of turmeric.

30. REFERENCES
► https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92752/
► https://www.compoundchem.com/2016/11/30/turmeric/
► https://www.herzindagi.com/diet-nutrition/celebrity-nutritionist-recipe-ginger-jagger-turmeric-immunity-boosting-balls-benefits-article-
165272
► https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/turmeric-recipes
► https://tastybite.com/2016/02/five-things-you-didnt-know-about-turmeric/
► http://www.celkau.in/crops/spices/Turmeric/production.aspx#:~:text=Rapid%20Multiplication%20Through%20'Tissue%20Culture,from%20
rhizome%20in%20a%20year
► http://www.spices.res.in/sites/default/files/Extension%20Pamphlets/turmeric.pdf
► https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-turmeric#TOC_TITLE_HDR_3
► https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-happens-brain-alzheimers-disease
► https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/why-you-should-combine-turmeric-and-black-pepper/
► https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/turmeric
► https://www.herbazest.com/herbs/turmeric
► http://barc.gov.in/technologies/turmeric/index.html
► http://dhakacourier.com.bd/news/Reportage/Toxic-Truth-of-Lead-Poisoning/2652
► https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/9/2/56/htm

31. Thank you