posted on 2006-12-13, 00:00authored byXiaoqiang Ma, David R. Gang
Turmeric (Curcuma longa) was considered only a culinary spice in many parts of the world until the
notable anti-inflammation curcuminoids were discovered from this herb. Because it is a sterile triploid
and is propagated vegetatively by rhizome division, turmeric is susceptible to pathogens that
accumulate and are transmitted from generation to generation, and amplification of particularly useful
stocks is a slow process. An in vitro propagation method has been developed to alleviate these
problems. Metabolic profiling, using GC-MS and LC-ESI-MS, was used to determine if chemical
differences existed between greenhouse-grown and in vitro micropropagation derived plants. The
major chemical constituent curcuminoids, a group of diarylheptanoid compounds, as well as major
mono- and sesquiterpenoids were identified and quantified. Principal component analysis and
hierarchical cluster analysis revealed chemical differences between lines (T3C turmeric vs Hawaiian
red turmeric) and tissues (rhizome, root, leaf, and shoot). However, this analysis indicated that no
significant differences existed between growth treatments (conventional greenhouse-grown vs in vitro
propagation derived plants).
Keywords: Diarylheptanoids; curcuminoids; curcumin; turmeric; Curcuma longa; GC-MS; LC-ESI-MS