Saey ACS SF 2017

Isolation of Curcuminoids from Turmeric Curcuma longa

Curcumin is a secondary plant metabolite of the turmeric herb Curcuma longa. The term "curcumin" has been used to refer to the bioactive molecule, but in reality curcumin has three derivatives (I/II/III) of different molecular structures: curcumin (I), demethoxycurcumin (II), and bisdemethoxycurcumin (III). Together, the aforementioned compounds are known as curcuminoids. A review of literature suggests that curcuminoids have chemotherapeutic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activity, among other uses to be discovered. However, difficulty arises when seeking to study these curcuminoids individually. Curcumin I is commercially available (10 mg for $150), while demethoxycurcumin (II) and bisdemethoxycurcumin (III) are not commercially available. Our current research project aims to isolate (methanol in soxhlet), purify (automated Flash/HPLC), and characterize (NMR) the curcuminoids for further investigation.