Chemical Composition of Turmeric (<i>Curcuma longa</i> L.) Ethanol Extract and Its Antimicrobial Activities and Free Radical Scavenging Capacities
Huan Wu,
Zhihao Liu,
Yaqiong Zhang,
Boyan Gao,
Yanfang Li,
Xiaohua He,
Jianghao Sun,
Uyory Choe,
Pei Chen,
Ryan A. Blaustein,
Liangli Yu
Affiliations
Huan Wu
Key Laboratory of Xin’an Medicine, Ministry of Education, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230038, China
Zhihao Liu
Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
Yaqiong Zhang
Institute of Food and Nutraceutical Science, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
Boyan Gao
Institute of Food and Nutraceutical Science, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
Yanfang Li
Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
Xiaohua He
Western Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Albany, CA 94710, USA
Jianghao Sun
Methods and Application of Food Composition Laboratory, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
Uyory Choe
Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
Pei Chen
Methods and Application of Food Composition Laboratory, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
Ryan A. Blaustein
Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
Liangli Yu
Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) is a perennial tuberous plant from the genus Curcuma (Zingiberaceae) and has been widely used in foods for thousands of years. The present study examined the ethanol extract of turmeric for its chemical composition, antimicrobial activity, and free radical scavenging properties. UHPLC-MS/MS analysis tentatively identified eight compounds in the turmeric extract. Potential antimicrobial effects of 0.1, 1.0, and 10 mg turmeric equivalents (TE)/mL were evaluated in vitro against a variety of Gram-negative bacteria (i.e., Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas sp.) and Gram-positive bacteria (i.e., Enterococcus faecalis, Listeria innocua, and Staphylococcus aureus). Concentrations of 0.1 and 1.0 mg TE/mL inhibited the growth of S. aureus and significantly suppressed that of Pseudomonas sp., E. faecalis, and L. innocua. The growth of all strains, including E. coli, was inhibited by 10 mg TE/mL. Moreover, free radical scavenging capacities were determined using HO●, ABTS●+, and DPPH● (HOSC, ABTS, and RDSC, respectively) radicals. The turmeric ethanol extract had a TPC value of 27.12 mg GAE/g, together with HOSC, RDSC, and ABTS values of 1524.59, 56.38, and 1.70 μmol TE/g, respectively. Our results suggest that turmeric extract has potential applications for use in functional foods to reduce microbial burdens and oxidative stress-related health problems.
