METHOD DEVELOPMENT FOR THE ESTIMATION OF CURCUMIN IN DIFFERENT MEDICINAL PLANTS BY HPLC

Curcumin, a principal bioactive constituent of the Curcuma species, is widely recognized for its therapeutic properties including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticancer activities. Accurate quantification of curcumin in medicinal plants is essential for quality control, standardization, and pharmacological evaluation. The present study focuses on the development of a simple, precise, and reliable RP-HPLC method for the estimation of curcumin in the ethanolic extracts of Curcuma caesia and Curcuma amada. The extracts were prepared using ethanol, and their percentage yields were recorded as 8.25% and 7.96%, respectively. Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of various bioactive constituents such as phenols, flavonoids, diterpenes, and proteins. The total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) were determined using the Folin–Ciocalteu and aluminium chloride methods. Curcuma caesia showed TPC and TFC values of 0.42 mg/100 mg and 0.75 mg/100 mg, respectively, while Curcuma amada exhibited 0.23 mg/100 mg and 0.84 mg/100 mg. HPLC analysis using a standard curcumin solution (2 µg/ml) revealed retention times (RT) around 4.38 minutes. The curcumin content in the extracts was quantitatively established, showing 0.315% in Curcuma caesia and 0.528% in Curcuma amada. The developed method proved to be efficient for the accurate quantification of curcumin in plant extracts and can be applied for routine quality assessment of Curcuma species in herbal formulations.