ESSENTIAL OIL OF CURCUMA LONGA L. RHIZOMES CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, YIELD VARIATION AND STABILITY

Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) is a medicinal plant that is cultivated worldwide. This study was conducted to evaluate the variability in the percentage and the chemical composition of volatile oils from 12 turmeric samples. Rhizomes of the turmeric plant were collected from three different producers in the Brazilian like savanna (Cerrado) habitat in the state of Bahia. The chemical composition of the oils derived from the rhizomes was analysed by thin-layer chromatography and GC-MS. The average oil content was 3.97% ± 0.61%, varying from 3.0% to 5.16%. There were differences between producers; ...