Turmeric The Golden Spice of Life presented by Samantha Arsenault

Outline Introduction to Species Plant Morphology Distribution Usage Agriculture Processing Diseases Curcumin Modern Medicine

Introduction Taxonomy Binomial name Zingiberaceae Common names ▫English ▫Sanskrit History

Botany Herbal perennial plant 1-2 metres Rhizome ▫ fleshy ▫2 parts Shoot = Upward Roots = Downward Leaves Inflorescence Fruit Seeds

Distribution Tropical Asia and Asia-Pacific Conditions ▫Moist ▫Warm India (over 100 species) Bangladesh, Thailand, China, Cambodia, Maylasia, Indonesia, Africa and Australia

Usage Indian Cuisine ▫curry Dying Agent ▫Clothes ▫Food Cosmetics ▫Cover blemishes ▫Glow

Religious and Sociocultural Hindu Religion ▫Ceremonial purposes ▫Birth of a child Chinese and Ayurveda medicine ▫Long history ▫Natural remedy ▫Healthcare problems (stomach, fever, allergies, diarrhoea, chronic couch, heartburn, bloating, colic, asthmas, jaundice, arthritis, inflammation, swelling from cuts & bruises & sprains, anorexia, snake bites, leprose, anemia…)

Agriculture Cultivated for its rhizomes India ▫650, 000 tonnes ▫142, 000 hectares ▫80% worldwide production

Processing 7 to 9 months after planting Labour intensive Cut off shoots, collect and cure rhizomes, sprayed, dried and ground

Diseases Leaf spots and leaf rot ▫Progressive yellowing of leaves ▫Various fungi of Pythium genera ▫spreads Rhizome rot ▫½ of crop was lost in 1998 Insects ▫70 species ▫Cigarette beetle and coffee bean weevil

Crop Improvement Crop rotation Soils tolerant to Pythium Chemical Control ▫Dipping seeds in chemical compounds ▫Spraying with Ridomil, Ditane M-45, and Blitox Hybrids ▫Increase yields ▫Infertile seeds

Curcumin: the Active Ingredient The active ingredient Diphenylheptanoids Naturally occurring Leaves & Rhizomes Concentrations vary with growth Suggests it’s made in the leaves and travels

Modern Medicine Recent research shows that turmeric has lots of health benefits Treatment for a number of diseases Minor problems Digestive problems, upset stomach, cramps, flatulence, ulcers Life threatening problems Cancers and heart problems

Battling Cancer Lots of studies Protect against the development of cancers: Prostate, Colon, Oral, Blood and Breast Cancer Suppressing development of tumors and increasing the number of cancer fighting cells Kelland et al (2009) showed curry resulted in the death of oesophageal cancer cells after 24 hours

Alzheimer’s Anti-inflammatory properties Free radicals scavenging properties Alzheimer’s- degradation of brain cells due partly to free radicals Help reduce degredation

Concluding Remarks Fascinating plant Long history and an array of usages Surprised with all its health benefits

Acknowledgments Mother Nature “Turmeric, the genus Curcuma”