Abstract
Curcumin yield, rhizome yield and curcumin content in Curcuma species and strains collected from Japan and Southeast Asian countries were compared, and these relationships were analysed based on the three previously proposed genetic groups: Japanese and Southeast Asian C. longa (Group 1), Southeast Asian C. longa (Group 2), and C. aromatica and other C. species (Group 3). Group 1 had a medium curcumin content with a high rhizome yield; Group 2 had a high curcumin content with a low rhizome yield; and Group 3 had a low curcumin content with a high or medium rhizome yield. Multiple regression analysis indicated that the differences in curcumin yield among species and strains were mainly determined by their curcumin content. However, the main factor determining curcumin yield was different in each group: the rhizome yield in Group 2, the curcumin content in Group 3, and both rhizome yield and curcumin content in Group 1. The differences in curcumin yield found in this study are well explained by their grouping based on genetic analysis.
