India's Solid Gold——Curcuma Longa L.

Curcuma plants mainly contain curcumin and volatile oil substances, as well as sugars, resins, alkaloids and trace elements. Among them, the main active ingredients are curcumin and volatile oil.

The natural sources of curcumin include Astragali Radix, C. aeruginosae, C. aromatica, C. kwangsiensis, C. longa, C. phaeocaulis, C. wenyujin, C. zedoary, Fructus Gardenia and C. trichosantha G.. 

Sesquiterpenoids, saponins and diterpenes, as the main terpenoids, are widely known for their anticancer ability against a variety of cancers. Sesquiterpenoids have been shown to act as anticancer, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective agents in biological systems.

Curcumin is a polyphenol with a relatively small molecular weight (the chemical structure is composed of two O-methylated phenols and one β- Diketone is composed of orange yellow crystalline powder, insoluble in water at acidic and neutral pH, soluble in ethanol), and has potential anticancer activity against a wide range of cancers, such as lung cancer, breast cancer, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, gastric cancer, liver cancer, colorectal cancer and ovarian cancer.

Curcumin is a unique paradigm for multi-target cancer prevention. Curcumin can regulate p53, accumulate ros/ oxidative stress, reduce anti apoptotic proteins (Bcl-2, BCL XL), increase Pro apoptotic proteins (Bax, bad), regulate apoptosis induction of MAPK pathway (inhibit p-jnk1/2, upregulate p-p38 MAPK), and inhibit NF- κ B. The pathway that triggers PARP cleavage, activates caspase cascade, and reduces mitochondrial membrane potential to inhibit carcinogenesis.

It is worth noting that curcumin is less stable. As a highly photosensitive substance, curcumin can be degraded to 68.9% after 5D of outdoor light, so it should be stored away from light. Its thermal stability is also poor. When the temperature is above 70 ℃, the structure of curcumin begins to be destroyed, and the loss rate of curcumin can reach 30% in boiling water for 20 min. Under strong acid and alkali conditions, curcumin molecule is also difficult to exist stably, especially under alkaline conditions, it is easier to decompose and produce vanillic acid, vanillin, ferulic acid and other substances. Curcumin molecule is also sensitive to metal ions such as fe2+, fe3+ and al3+, and can chelate with them to reduce the toxic effect of metals.

Curcumin has been widely used as a food additive and dye. It plays an important role in maintaining animal health in a wide range of medical uses, health functions and health care fields. With the in-depth study of curcumin, people began to apply curcumin, which has a wide range of physiological activities and is green and safe, to animal production.