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Essential oil composition of Curcuma species and drugs from Asia analyzed by headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

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Abstract

Essential oils (EOs) comprised of various bioactive compounds have been widely detected in the Curcuma species. Due to the widespread distribution and misidentification of Curcuma species and differences in processing methods, inconsistent reports on major compounds in rhizomes of the same species from different geographical regions are not uncommon. This inconsistency leads to confusion and inaccuracy in compound detection of each species and also hinders comparative study based on EO compositions. The present study aimed to characterize EO compositions of 12 Curcuma species, as well as to detect the compositional variation among different species, and between the plant specimens and their related genetically validated crude drug samples using headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The plant specimens of the same species showed similar EO patterns, regardless of introducing from different geographical sources. Based on the similarity of EO compositions, all the specimens and samples were separated into eight main groups: C. longa; C. phaeocaulis, C. aeruginosa and C. zedoaria; C. zanthorrhiza; C. aromatica and C. wenyujin; C. kwangsiensis; C. amada and C. mangga; C. petiolata; C. comosa. From EOs of all the specimens and samples, 54 major compounds were identified, and the eight groups were chemically characterized. Most of the major compounds detected in plant specimens were also observed in crude drug samples, although a few compounds converted or degraded due to processing procedures or over time. Orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis allowed the marker compounds to discriminate each group or each species to be identified.

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Acknowledgements

We greatly appreciate Assoc. Prof. Sitthithaworn Worapan at Srinakarinwirot University, Thailand, Prof. Emeritus Viswanathan M.V. at University of Madras, Dr. Unnikrishnan Payyappallimana at United Nations University, India, and Department of Traditional Medicine, Ministry of Health and Sports, Myanmar for kind help in collecting crude drug samples. This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant numbers JP14406030, JP21406004, JP15H05268 and JP18K06714.

Funding

This work is funded by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JP18K06714).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Natural Medicine, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan

    Qundong Liu, Katsuko Komatsu, Kazufumi Toume & Shu Zhu

  2. College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-Higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan

    Ken Tanaka

  3. Research Center for Medicinal Plant Resources, National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, 17007-2 Nakatane-cho, Kumage-Gun, Kagoshima, 891-3604, Japan

    Shigeki Hayashi, Naoko Anjiki & Nobuo Kawahara

  4. Showa Pharmaceutical University, 3-3165 Higashi-Tamagawagakuen, Machidashi, Tokyo, 194-8543, Japan

    Akihito Takano

  5. Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-0392, Japan

    Katsunori Miyake

  6. Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Arts, Kodo, Kyotanabe City, Kyoto, 610-0395, Japan

    Norio Nakamura

  7. Chulalongkorn University, 254 Phayathai Rd, Wang Mai, Pathum Wan District, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand

    Suchada Sukrong

  8. Airlangga University, Jl. Airlangga No.4 - 6, Airlangga, Kec. Gubeng, Kota SBY, Jawa Timur, 60115, Indonesia

    Mangestuti Agil

  9. Center for Medicinal Plants Research, Arya Vaidya Sala, Kottakkal, Malappuram District, Kerala, 676503, India

    Indira Balachandra

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  1. Qundong Liu
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Liu, Q., Komatsu, K., Toume, K. et al. Essential oil composition of Curcuma species and drugs from Asia analyzed by headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. J Nat Med 77, 152–172 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11418-022-01658-7

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