Curcumin – The golden herb: From kitchen to the clinics – A review

A variety of diseases in India and China and as an over-the counter supplement worldwide.1 Turmeric is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant (Curcuma longa) of the ginger family (Fig. 1). The chemically active component of turmeric, curcuminoids, also called diferuloylmethane (Fig. 2), is the natural hydrophobic polyphenol.2 The primary active constituent of turmeric, which is responsible for its vibrant yellow color, is curcumin, which was first identified in 1910 by Lampe and Milobedzka. The molecule is lipophilic and consists of two aromatic rings connected by two unsaturated