1,5-Bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1,4-pentadiene-3-one (2) was isolated from Curcuma domestica as a curcumin (1)-related compound, which we named C5-curcumin. Intrigued by the potent antitumor activity of C5-curcumin (2)-related 1,5-bisaryl-1,4-pentadiene-3-ones [bis(arylmethylidene)acetones, termed C5-curcuminoids], we previously conducted a structure-activity relationship study of C5-curcumi...

Curcuma leonidii, a new species of Curcuma subg. Hitcheniopsis (Zingiberaceae) from southern Vietnam is described and illustrated here. Curcuma leonidii with flowers similar to some Stahlianthus-like species but inflorescences consisting of up to 8 green bracts and their arrangements conforming to usual ‘classical’ Curcuma-like species provides the much-awaited morphological link between the tw...

The effects of dietary supplementation with an organic extract of Curcuma longa on systemic and local immune responses to experimental Eimeria maxima and Eimeria tenella infections were evaluated in commercial broiler chickens. Dietary supplementation with C. longa enhanced coccidiosis resistance as demonstrated by increased BW gains, reduced fecal oocyst shedding, and decreased gut lesions com...

Twenty one polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized from turmeric (Curcuma longa L.). These markers were screened across thirty accessions. The number of alleles observed for each locus ranged from two to eight with an average of 4.7 alleles per locus. The discrimination power of these markers ranged from 0.25 to 0.67 (average 0.6). The simple sequence repeat (SSR) marker...

Selenium administration resulted in a marked decrease in the activity levels of the liver succinate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase, and lactate dehydrogenase while pyruvate dehydrogenase increased significantly (P<0.001) in the wistar rat. The degree of decrease of these enzymes was significantly less (P<0.001) when rats were treated with curcumin, a natural constituent Curcuma longa. Curc...

cluding Curcuma longa, C. zedoaria, etc. have attracted attention because of their antiinflammatory, antihepatotoxic, and neuroprotective activity. These drugs were originally used in traditional Asian medicines, and in Chinese medicine they are mainly used for treating various syndromes due to obstruction of blood circulation and retention of blood stasis such as arthralgia, psychataxia, and d...

ii Acknowledgements I would like to express my deep appreciation to my advisors Drs. Beilei Ge and Witoon Prinyawiwatkul, for their support, encouragement, and helpful guidance throughout my M. S. study. Their intelligence, enthusiasm, inspiration and academic perspectives impressed me immensely. Also I want to thank Dr. Zhimin Xu, as my committee member, who gave me valuable suggestions and su...

Curcuma longa is widely known for its anti-inflammatory activity in traditional system of medicine for centuries and has been scientifically validated extensively. The present study was conducted to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of curcuminoids and oil-free aqueous extract (COFAE) of C. longa and compare it with that of curcuminoids and turmerones (volatile oil), the bioactive compone...

Wistar rat pups treated with curcumin, a natural constituent of Curcuma longa before being administered with selenium showed no opacities in the lens. The lipid peroxidation, xanthine oxidase enzyme levels in the lenses of curcumin and selenium co-treated animals were significantly less when compared to selenium treated animals. The superoxidase dismutase and catalase enzyme activities of curcu...

The effect of an Ayurvedic preparation consisting of Swasakutara, Curcuma longa (Haridra) and Withania somnifera (Asvagandha) is accessed in 12 patients of tropical eosinphilia. The modern control drug Hetrazan is used in another batch of 11 patients for comparison. The Ayurvedic compound causes complete relief of most of the clinical signs and symptoms associated with the disease and reduces E...