Analysis of curcuminoids and volatile components in 160 batches of turmeric samples in China by high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography mass spectrometry

Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) is a popular herbal medicine worldwide. Curcuminoids and volatile constituents are its major bioactive components. To improve the quality control of turmeric, we determined the contents of three main curcuminoids in 160 batches of turmeric samples collected from five major production areas of China by HPLC, and analyzed the volatile components by GC/MS. The results indicated that samples with red cross sections (2.75 ± 0.82 mg/g) contained significantly higher amounts of curcuminoids than samples with yellow sections (1.23 ± 0.60 mg/g) (p < 0.001). This result was consistent with empirical standard of TCM pharmacists. The contents of curcuminoids in samples from Hainan (4.51±0.25%), Guizhou (3.17±0.41%), and Sichuan (2.25±0.54%) were relatively high and consistent. Moreover, the GC/MS profiles of turmeric may be affected by storage and processing. This study sets a good example for comprehensive quality control of herbal medicines.