Comparative HPLC Fingerprinting and Cytotoxic Evaluation of Ethanol and Acetone Extracts of Mother and Finger Rhizomes of Curcuma longa L.

Aim: The aim of this study was to document the phytochemical composition and biological activities of curcuma longa L. rhizomes prepared using different solvents and to identify the impact of these solvents and extraction methods on the compounds present. Background: The phytochemical composition and biological activity of curcuma longa L. rhizomes may vary depending on the type of rhizome and the extraction solvent used. The present study compared the effect of the type of rhizome and extraction solvent on the chromatographic profile and cytotoxicity of extracts from C. longa.Materials and Methods: The mother and finger rhizomes were extracted separately with acetone and ethanol by Soxhlet extraction. A phytochemical screening and reversed phase HPLC analysis were carried out using an authentic reference standard of curcumin. The chromatograms were compared using the following comparisons: retention time, peak area, peak height and relative peak abundance. The cytotoxic activity on KB (human oral cancer) cells was measured using the MTT assay.Results: The retention time of curcumin standard was about 3.02 min, while the major peaks in the finger–ethanol, mother–ethanol, finger–acetone and mother–acetone extracts occurred at 4.87, 3.93, 3.87 and 3.85 min, respectively. In both acetone extracts, a second peak was observed at 3.19 min, which made up 2.62% and 7.59% of the relative peak area, respectively. Finger–acetone extract exhibited the highest cytotoxicity (86.96%) followed by mother–acetone (80.36%), finger–ethanol (61.31%) and mother–ethanol (51.11%).Conclusion: Rhizome type and extraction solvent influenced the chromatographic characteristics and cytotoxic response of C. longa extracts. Finger–acetone extract demonstrated the strongest cytotoxic activity and was the most promising preparation. Further validated HPLC/PDA or LC–MS/MS studies, dose–response evaluation, and mechanistic investigations are warranted to identify the active constituents and clarify their biological effects.