2013 Volume 82 Issue 1 Pages 56-62
Curcumin contents (curcumin, monodemethoxycurcumin, and bis-demethoxycurcumin) and antioxidative activities of 11 strains of Curcuma longa, 6 strains of Curcuma aromatica, and 3 strains of Curcuma zedoaria were evaluated in Ibaraki Prefecture in 2004 and 2005. C. longa was classified into two groups, according to total curcumin contents, 8 strains mainly from Japan and Taiwan (C. longa I) that contained 200–700 mg/100g dry weight (DW), and 3 strains from Southeast Asia (C. longa II) that contained more than 1800 mg/100 gDW. C. aromatica had a total curcumin content of 50–100 mg/100 gDW. Two of the 3 strains of C. zedoaria, did not contain curcumins, but 1 strain contained about 1500 mg/100 gDW. There were difference in the ratios of curcumins among C. longa I, II, C. aromatica, and C. zedoaria. Although the curcumin contents and antioxidative activities of most strains were higher in 2005 than in 2004, the year-to-year correlation was significant. Consequently, despite the large year-to-year variation in curcumin contents, the order of groups was stable. Although it is impossible to estimate the curcumin contents of each strain, it is possible to classify the strains into groups.
