Journal of Scientific & Industrial Research

Vol. 65, November 2006, pp. 916-920

Pharmacognostic evaluation of Curcuma haritha Linn

Sharad Srivastava*, Sanjay Srivastava, Nitin Chitranshi, Mathew Dan, A K S Rawat and Palpu Pushpangadan

Pharmacognosy and Ethnopharmacology Division, National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow 226 001

Received 03 October 2005; revised 16 June 2006; accepted 21 August 2006

Curcuma haritha Linn (Family: Zingiberaceae), a lesser-known medicinal zingiber, is wildly distributed in Kerala. It is

common throughout the costal regions and grows along with C. caesia and C. raktakanta, but is rarely found in high altitude

grasslands. It is closely related to C. aromatica, but differs in the yellowish-grey, non-aromatic rhizome, leathery,

semipilicate, erect leaves, white corolla and yellow tip with a median dark yellow band. It also resembles C. raktakanta but

differs from it in having green puesdostem with light pink spots, white corolla lobes and swollen placenta. A paste of

rhizome is useful externally for cuts, wounds, itching and in sprains. Pharmacognostic evaluation of its rhizome showed:

total ash, 7.4; acid insoluble ash, 1.5; alcohol soluble extractives, 8.50; water soluble extractives, 19.50; sugar, 5.11; starch,

42.88 and tannins, 1.78%. On hydro distillation, rhizomes and sessile tubers yield oil (0.58%).

Keywords: Curcuma haritha, Pharmacognosy, Rhizome, Standardization

Introduction

Curcuma haritha Linn (Family: Zingiberaceae) is a

lesser-known, wildly distributed medicinal zingiber

from Kerala. It is common throughout the costal

regions and grows along with C. caesia and

C. raktakanta, but is rarely found in high altitude

grasslands. It is closely related to C. aroamatica, but

differs in the yellowish-grey, non-aromatic rhizome,

leathery, semipilicate, erect leaves, white corolla and

yellow tip with a median dark yellow band1. It also

resembles C. raktakanta but differs from it in having

green pseudo stem with light pink spots, white corolla

lobes and swollen placenta. Rhizome is expectorant,

astringent and useful in diarrhea2-6

and used as

substitute of arrowroot by natives in different parts of

Kerala. Study presents pharmacognostical evaluation

of C. haritha Linn.

Materials and Methods Plant material was collected from Trivandrum

(Kerala, India) [Sharad, LWG 222349, 2004] and

rhizomes were preserved in 70% ethyl alcohol for

histological studies. Microtome sections were cut and

stained with safranin and fast green and photographed

with Nikon F70X camera7. Physico-chemical and

phytochemical studies were carried on shade dried

powdered material8-10

. The behavior of the powdered

drug with different chemical reagents was also

studied11-12

.

Results and Discussion

Macroscopic Characters of the Rhizome

Rhizome (Fig. 1) laterally flattened, longitudinally

wrinkled, 2-6 cm long, 0.5-2 cm in diam, branched,

non-aromatic, pale yellowish-green inside; sessile

tubers fleshy, finger shaped, branched; root tubers

absent surface, branching sympodial, horizontal; roots

long, unbranched, tapering, thread like, yellowish

brown; rhizome pale yellowish-green with short and

smooth fracture and sweet in taste.

Microscopic Characters of the Rhizome

Transverse section of rhizome (Fig. 1) is circular in

outline. Epidermal cells are rectangular-oval covered

with thick cuticle, long unicellular trichomes present.

Followed to these is storied suberized cork cells, 4-7

layered, interrupted by lysigenous oil glands. Wide

cortex present having irregularly scattered vascular

bundles. Each vascular bundle is enclosed within a

prominent fibrous sheath, inner limit of cortex marked

by endodermis, and pericycle followed by vascular

bundles, devoid of bundle sheath, arranged in a ring;

schizogenous canals and abundant oil cells with

suberized walls are also found in central region of

cortex. Most of the parenchymatous cells are

filled with starch grains, which are oval-ellipsoidal,

__________

*Author for correspondence

Tel: +91-9415082210; Fax: +91-522-2207219; 2205839

E-mail: sharad_ks2003@yahoo.com; sharad_ks@hotmail.com

SRIVASTAVA et al.: PHARMACOGNOSTIC EVALUATION OF CURCUMA HARITHA LINN

917

Fig. 1Macro and microscopic characters of the rhizome of Curcuma haritha ICO, Inner cortex; CK, Cork cells; IVB, Inner vascular

bundle; OVB, Outer vascular bundle; CO, Cortex; FR, Fiber; ST, Starch; VS, Vessels; XY, Xylem; ED, Endodermis; PR, Pericycle; HR,

Hairs; TC, Tannin containing cells

J SCI IND RES VOL 65 NOVEMBER 2006

918

sometimes polygonal, 10-60 µm, simple, hilum

circular or a 2-5 rayed cleft, lamellae distinct and

concentric. Vascular bundles in the central cylinder

are similar to those in the cortex, scattered, closed,

collateral, surrounded by thick walled bundle sheath.

Secondary wall thickening reticulate, fibres thin

walled with lignified narrow central lumen. In

transverse longitudinal section, cortex cells irregular

with variable size. Vessels elongated with spiral or

annular thickenings and with no clear end-walls.

Tracheids are observed with bordered pits. Powder

pale yellowish-grey with sweet, non-aromatic odour,

shows fragments of storied cork, xylem vessels with

reticulate thickenings, lignified xylem fibres, oil cells,

patches of parenchymatous cells filled with starch

grains, which are oval-ellipsoidal, sometimes

polygonal, 10-60 µm, simple, hilum circular or a 2-5

rayed cleft, lamellae distinct and concentric.

Physico-chemical Studies

Physico-chemical values of rhizome were found as

follows: water soluble extractives, 19.50; alcohol

soluble extractives, 8.50; starch, 42.88; sugar, 5.11;

tannins, 1.78; essential oil 0.58; total ash, 7.4 and acid

insoluble ash, 1.5%. Successive Soxhlet extractives

were found as follows: water, 35.6; hexane, 6.1;

methanol, 5.1; chloroform, 5.0 and acetone, 2.3%. Essential Oils

On hydro distillation, rhizomes and sessile tubers

yield essential oil (0.58%) having following

values: Colour, bluish violet, turning reddish

when exposed to light; Odour, penetrating

camphoraceous; Monoterpeniods/hydrocarbons, 48.51

and Sesquiterpenoids/oxygenated compounds,

51.49%. Gas Liquid Chromatography of rhizome

(Fig. 2) gave following components: α-pinene, 1.75;

β-pinene, 6.67; p-cymol, 2.89; camphor, 21.24;

camphene, 14.59; borneol, 1.37; terpinyl acetate,

2.43; pentadecane, 1.84; tumerone, 5.39; ar-tumerone,

9.63; and ethyl-p methoxy cinnamte, 3.53%.

HPTLC Studies

A densitometric HPTLC analysis (Fig. 3) was

performed for the development of characteristic

fingerprint profile, which may be used as markers for

quality evaluation and standardization of the drug.

The bands in the sample were obtained at Rfs 0.28,

0.31, 0.36, 0.40, 0.61 & 0.84 (acetone fraction) and

0.18, 0.57 & 0.84 (methanol fraction), which can be

used as identifying markers. When compared both the

Fig. 2GLC profile of C. haritha rhizome

SRIVASTAVA et al.: PHARMACOGNOSTIC EVALUATION OF CURCUMA HARITHA LINN

919

profile with curcumin as a reference, it was present

only in traces in both the extracts.

Discussion

Odour and taste of rhizome are quite characteristic

and non-aromatic with sweet taste. On microscopical

examination, rod shaped starch grains are observed in

the rhizome. Similarly numbers of curcumin

containing cells are also very low in the rhizome.

Total ash (7.4%) and acid insoluble ash (1.5%) are

considered to be an important and useful parameter

for detecting the presence of inorganic substances.

Similarly, alcohol (8.50%) and water-soluble

extractives (19.50%) are indicators of the total solvent

soluble component. Likewise, essential oil

(0.58%) is an important parameter for identification

and authentication. C. haritha rhizome possesses an

exceptionally low amount of acetone extractives

(2.30%), which may be due to the lesser percentage of

curcumin, soluble in acetone.

Conclusions

Above parameters are very useful for the

identification of the species, which may be useful to

Fig. 3HPTLC Profile of Curcuma haritha and reference sample (Under UV- 366): 1. HPTLC profile of C. haritha rhizome (Acetone

fraction); 2. HPTLC profile of C. haritha rhizome (methanol fraction); 3. Reference sample of curcumin Ref, curcumin reference; CA, C.

haritha; Ac, acetone fraction; Me, methanol fraction

J SCI IND RES VOL 65 NOVEMBER 2006

920

pharmaceutical industries for the authentication of the

commercial samples.

Acknowledgements

Authors thank Director, NBRI for providing all the

facilities and guidance to conduct this research work.

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