Evaluation of curcumin and other phytochemicals in turmeric processed with various processing methods

Abstract

Curcuma longa belonging to the family Zingiberaceae is a perennial plant cultivated in tropical regions. Its rhizomes are used for a variety of purposes owing to the presence of the component called curcumin. But, curcumin being light and heat sensitive, tends to lose its therapeutic properties during various processing methods the rhizomes are subjected to. Apart from curcumin, a lot of phytochemicals such as polyphenols, flavonoids, and tannins to name a few are also lost. Therefore, the present investigation was undertaken, to determine the losses of curcumin and other phytochemicals occurring during various processing techniques. Raw turmeric rhizomes were processed with three treatments, viz., boiling (40, 60 and 80 minutes), steaming (30, 50 and 70 minutes) and water blanching for 2 minutes along with a control batch in which no processing was done. Analysis of the processed turmeric powder for curcumin and phytochemicals showed that maximum losses occurred in boiling treatments followed by steaming and water blanching. Highest retention of these bioactive components was found in water blanching.