Improving antioxidant potential of turmeric

Turmeric, obtained from the genus Curcuma (Fam. Zingiberaceae), is one of the best known as seasoning, food preservative and is of high value in traditional system of medicine. Turmeric and it¿s active principle curcumin have unique antitumorigenic, anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. From turmeric some other reported antioxidants are curcumin, ascorbic acid, vitamin A & E and bioflavonoid phenolics. A field experiment with eight germplasm of turmeric (Curcuma longa) viz. Sugandham, PCT-13 (Suguna), PTS-43, Nimbombong , Rh-5 Rajendra Sonia, kalimpong and Armoor was laid out in RBD with three replications at Horticultural Research Station, Mondauri, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Nadia during 2007-2008, to evaluate their performance and to select the superior genotype(s)in respect of the content of antioxidant components and activities of antioxidative enzymes.Following the Principal Component Analysis culivar 7 (Kalimpong) could be the best performing cultivar in Gangetic Alluvial Zone.