Altitudinal and geographical variations in phytochemical composition and biological activities of <i>Curcuma longa</i> accession from Uttarakhand, the Himalayan region
Shriya Gururani, Kanchan Gairola, Ravendra Kumar, Om Prakash, Shiv Kumar Dubey
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to assess the variations in chemical composition and biological activities of essential oil of Curcuma longa rhizome local cultivars collected from four varied altitudes and habitats of Kumaun and Garhwal regions of Uttarakhand, India. The essential oil was collected from the rhizomes by hydrodistillation extraction using the Clevenger apparatus. Yields of essential oil from rhizomes varied from 0.180% to 0.273%. The GC–MS analysis of the essential oil revealed the presence of turmerone, germacrone, eucalyptol, caryophyllene, ß-sesquiphellandrene, hedycaryol, α-zingiberene, α-curcumene as some of the major compounds. The biological activities were performed by different methods, that is, the antioxidant activities via DPPH assay, reducing power assay, and Fe2+ chelating activity showing varied activities in different local cultivars of turmeric. Moreover, in vitro anti-inflammatory activity and the antidiabetic activity of essential oil also showed comparable results among local cultivars of turmeric samples vis-à-vis standards. Practical applications Curcuma longa, a magical natural herb, is used as a rich food flavoring agent and possess vivid medicinal properties against several disease and ailments. Varied scientific investigations proved the application of C. longa in pharmaceuticals is a rich source of antioxidants, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory drugs. Interestingly, the essential oil of C. longa possesses volatile compounds that have different pharmacological and biological activities reliant upon habitat, elevation, and several edaphic factors. Moreover, further investigation concerning the phytochemical variation, pharmacodynamics, as well as pharmacokinetic targets can lead to clinical trials that can help to develop rich antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antidiabetic drugs. Finally, the results of the findings of this research pave the path for several more pharmacological and medicinal research illuminating the path toward natural medication.