Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.): Chemical Components and Their Effective Clinical Applications

Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) is widely utilized as a spice, food colorant, and preservative in India, China, and South-East Asia. With containing potential turmeric extracts and compounds, it has been utilized in traditional medicine for various diseases counting diabetes, hepatitis, hemorrhoids, hysteria, indigestion, skin disease, inflammation, anorexia, hepatic disorders, cough, and sinusitis, etc. So far, a large number of work has been conducted to find and prove biological activities and pharmacological applications of turmeric and its extracts in both animals and humans. In particular, curcumin (diferuloylmethane), a characteristic component with major yellow bioactive turmeric feature, has been found to possess numerous biological actions. Nonetheless, the polyphenol compound in curcumin has been limited for human disease treatments even though adequate studies are utilized in animal trials. Plenty of ongoing studies are also contributing significantly to this promising molecule that to the forefront of human therapeutics as well as its activities in health benefits. Thus, curcumin and some turmeric extracts are considered as non-toxic and highly promising compounds with a lot of potentially biological functions based on an appropriately used dose. It is expected that curcumin and some turmeric extracts can be explored in novel medical applications in the future to effectively against or treat various diseases. Here, we hope that it is likely a good and right approach for using and encouraging this product, and its chemical components and effective clinical applications will be briefly summarized in disease treatments.