Biochemical profiling of some prominent turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) cultivars of northeast India

Abstract

The present investigation was carried out with thirteen turmeric genotypes of Northeast India to evaluate dry matter content, essential oil, fatty oil, curcumin content and effect of particle sizes on the colour intensity as well as solubility in different solvent systems. Significant variation in moisture content among thirteen genotypes was observed on the fresh weight basis of turmeric rhizomes. The observed data varied from 70.84 to 86.01.In respect of curcumin content, all the thirteen cultivars showed significant variation. The value ranged from.0930 to.0.9125 with an average of 0.5952 percent. The observed data of essential oil varied from 1.00 to 7.23 percent with an average of 3.88 percent. Significant variations in fatty oil percentage were found in all the thirteen cultivars. Effect of different particle sizes on solubility of the cultivars in different solvents in terms of absorbance at 425nm also found to vary among the cultivars.