China rhizomes

Turmeric and Turmeric Oleoresin. Turmeric (Cl Natural Yellow 3, Cl No. 75300, EEC No. E 100) is the dried and ground rhizome or bulbous root of Curcuma longa, a perennial herb of the Zingiberaceae family native to southern Asia and cultivated in China, India, South America, and the East Indies. It is a yellow powder with a characteristic odor and a sharp taste. 

Li, Y., Nan, P., Tsering, T., Wang, L., Liu, S., and Zhong, Y. 2004. Interpopulation variability of rhizome essential oils in Rhodiola crenulata from Tibet and Yunnan, China. Biochem. Syst. Ecol. 32 611-614. 

Turmeric, also known as curcuma, is an easily fading yellow dye that was used in Mesopotamia many centuries b.c.e. and later became popular in ancient Rome. It is derived from the turmeric plant, Curcuma longa, and other varieties of Curcuma indigenous to China and Southwest Asia. The dye is extracted with hot water from the shredded rhizomes of the plant and then dried into a yellow powder. The coloring matter in turmeric is the organic compound curcumin. 

In China, the rhizome is used as a deodorant, carminative, and stimulant. A decoction is used in various skin affections and in the bath to give fragrance to the body. In India, the rhizome is used to treat depression, hysteria, epilepsy, convulsions, headache, colic, and as a tonic and carminative. 

Morita, T., Kasai, R., Tanaka, O., Zhou, J., Tsungren, Y., and Dhoji, J. (1982). Saponins of Zu-Tziseng, rhizomes of Panax japonicus C. A. Meyer var. major (Burk.) C.Y. Wu et K.M. Feng collected in Yurman, China. Chem. Pharm. Bull. 30, 4341-4345. 

Russia, and the Rocky Mountain region of the United States. The stem is erect and pubescent at apex. The leaves are orbicular 8-12 X 12-15 cm and deeply three- to five-lobed. The flowers are arranged in racemes, deep blue color, 8 mm long, with a spur that is slightly circinate. The fruits are 1.4 cm long follicles (Fig. 77). The drug consists of the dried rhizome. In China, the rhizome is used to treat cold, cause abortion, and as a treatment for lumbago, pox, and ulcers. 

Recently, the pharmacokinetics of resveratrol from Smilax china, a rhizome extensively used in traditional Chinese medicine was evaluated [Huang et al., 2008]. Forty-five female rats were orally administered with 1 g/kg S. china extract equivalent to 180 mg/kg of oxyresveratrol and 80 mg/kg of resveratrol. The pharmacokinetic parameters showed that the two stilbenes were rapidly absorbed into the body fluid from the gastrointestinal tract and could still be detected in the plasma at least 6 h after the administration [Huang et al., 2008], probably due to the high dose administered. 

Turmeric Curcuma longa L. Rhizome China, Honduras, India,... 

Isonarthogenin 3-0-a-l,-Rha-(1—>2)-0-[a-Rha-(l—>4)]- Smilax china (Liliaceae) [rhizome, root] cAMP PDE... 

The turmeric rhizome is a main ingredient of curry powder. It gives color and flavor to food, and it has aromatic, stimulant, and carminative properties. This herb is used traditionally in India to treat biliary disorders, anorexia, cough, diabetic wounds, liver disorders, rheumatism, and sinusitis and in China for abdominal pains and jaundice. Turmeric has a protective effect on the liver, stimulates bile secretion in animals, and is recommended for use in liver disorders. 

Plant part The peeled rhizome of the plant which is native to and cultivated in tropical Asia. Main growing areas are India, China, Nigeria, Indonesia, West Africa, Jamaica, Australia, Malaysia and the Fiji Islands. 

Plant part The rhizome, which is often scalded when fresh to ensure better drying. The plant is cultivated in India and southern China. 

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