Anti Oxidant Activity of Tumeric

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a major culinary spice of India and other Asian countries, and has been shown to have anti-cancer, anti-coagulative, and anti-hepatotoxic properties. As an anti-oxidant, it is sometimes added (at 0.5-1.0% levels) to ground nut oils to reduce the formation of peroxides and to increase shelf-life. This study was conducted to determine the nature of the anti-oxidant principle in turmeric. From an aqueous extract of powdered turmeric tubers, a heat-stable protein with anti-oxidant properties was isolated. This turmeric anti-oxidant/protein (TAP) was found to inhibit lipid peroxidation in both of the environments in which it was incubated: in vitro in rat brain tissue, and in cod liver oil.

In previous studies, turmeric has been shown to be as effective an anti-oxidant as butylated hydroxy anisole, which is used in the preservation of foods. But whereas high concentrations of butylated hydroxy anisole have been shown to be toxic, high concentrations of turmeric have been reported to be non-toxic. These findings, therefore, are significant in areas where turmeric is consumed in the diet. The ability of TAP to protect tissues from peroxidation merits further study.

January 8. 1996

Selvam, R., Lalitha Subramanian, R. Gayathri, and N. Angayarkanni. The anti-oxidant activity of turmeric (curcuma longa) Journal of Ethnopharmacology. Vol 47, 1995:.

Source: The American Botanical Council