• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• 제16권2호
• /
• pp.107-110
• /
• 2010

Curcuma caesia Roxb. (Zingiberaceae) is commonly known as 'Black turmeric'. In India it grows in West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Bihar, North-East and Uttar Pradesh and is widely used by ethnic communities for various ailments. Rhizomes of the plant are used for sprains and bruises and are also employed in cosmetics. In West Bengal it is an important place in traditional system of medicine and is also used as a substitute for turmeric in fresh stage. Present communication deals with the detailed pharmacognostical evaluation of the rhizome sample. Inner part of the rhizome is bluish-black in colour and emits a characteristic sweet smell, due to the presence of essential oil. On steam distillation the rhizome yields an essential oil rich in camphor. A detailed HPTLC studies has been carried out for quantitative evaluation of active marker component. HPTLC, physico-chemical, morphological and histological parameters presented in this paper may be proposed as parameters to establish the authenticity of C. caesia rhizome and may possibly help to differentiate the drug from its other allied species.