3IFRJ 2010 278 Rohman PDF
3IFRJ 2010 278 Rohman PDF
3IFRJ 2010 278 Rohman PDF
Mini Review
Analysis of curcuminoids in food and pharmaceutical products
Abdul Rohman
Abstract: Curcuminoids refer to three main chemical substances, namely curcumin, demethoxycurcumin,
and bis-demethoxycurcumin. These are used as natural coloring agents in some food products and have been
reported to exhibit several biological activities in animal and human clinical studies. Due to its beneficial effects
to human health, several analytical methods have been continuously proposed and developed by scientist to
analyze them in plant sources, food, and in pharmaceutical products. This article highlights the application of
several instrumental techniques for analysis of curcuminoids.
*Corresponding author.
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20 Abdul Rohman
techniques for the quantitative analysis of made by weighing 2.00 mg curcumin (cat # C-1386,
curcuminoids either in raw materials or in food and purity 6070%), added with MeOH and adjusted to
pharmaceutical products. a final concentration of 0.8, 1.6, 2.0, 2.4 and 3.2 mg/
ml. For sample preparation, the powder was added
Analytical methods for analysis of curcuminoids with tetrahydrofuran and diluted ith MeOH.
Some researches also used the parameter of
Qualitative and quantitative analyses of extinction coefficient as the basis of their analysis.
curcuminoids in turmeric samples are very important The Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives
in order to determine the quality of the raw materials or (2001) has specified that curcumin deteremined using
its finished products (Jiang et al., 2009). Food industry visible spectroscopy in ethanol at 425 nm should
and regulatory authorities require reliable validated have of 1607. For this reason, some industries
techniques for determination of curcuminoids for the accepted this (1607) as the reference value for
scope of the various range of food products stated three curcuminoids jointly. However, some values for
in the European Color Directive (Scotter, 2009). For different maximum wavelengths (max) may be also
instance, curcumin is allowed to be use in smoked established in literature. The European Commission
fish with maximum limit of 100 mg/kg. Some types (EC) has specified to use 426 nm, whereas other
of food such as jellies, sausages, and dried potato regulatory authorities stated max between 424 and
products are allowable to contain curcumin; therefore, 430 nm. This difference comes from the proportion
its analysis is not a critical issue. In addition, sauces of each curcuminoids in the mixture, because each
and seasonings are allowable to restrain curcumin up exhibits different maximum wavelength. It has been
to levels of 500 ppm. From the point of regulatory reported that curcumin (C) in ethanol has max of
compliance, it is necessarily to determine the level 430 nm, meanwhile demethoxycurcumin (DMC)
contents of curcumin in certain foods. and bis-demethoxycurcumin (BDMC) exhibits max
Numerous analytical methods have been reported of 423 and 418 nm, respectively. Consequently, this
by some researchers for quantitative analysis of distribution affects the mean of max in the mixture
curcuminoids. Some of the methods are based- (Scotter, 2009).
spectrophotometric techniques, expressed as the
total color content of the sample. However, using Infrared spectroscopy
this technique it is not possible to separate and to Infrared (IR) spectroscopy, especially in
quantify the curcuminoids individually (Jayaprakasha combination with chemometrics technique, has
et al., 2002). For this reason, chromatographic- been widely used for determination of analytes of
based techniques and electrophoresis are among the interest in food, agricultural, and pharmaceutical
methods of choice for determination of curcuminoids products (Roggo et al., 2007). The method allows
attributed to their separation capacities. rapid and sensitive, ease in sample preparation, and
non destructive technique meaning that the used
Spectroscopic techniques samples can be used for further analysis. In addition,
IR spectroscopy can be exploited for determination
UV-Vis spectrophotometry of components on interest simultaneously (Rohman
The official standard method for determination et al., 2010).
of curcuminoids or Curcuma-based products is UV- Tanaka et al. (2008) had investigated the
Vis spectrophotometry which is relied on the direct possibility of near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to
measurements of sample in certain solvents. In some quantify the contents of curcuminoids (C, DMC,
organic solvents, curcuminoids show the intensive and BDMC) in turmeric. Using the processing
absorption intensity at wavelength of 420 430 nm. combination of second derivatives and standard
However, it should be taken into account that the normal variate, partial least square calibration using
presence of other species having the chromophoric spectral regions of 1500-2500 nm and 1850-2040 nm
groups absorbing at this wavelength will influence was used for quantification of individual and total
the accuracy of the results (Jayaprakasha et al., curcuminoids. The results showed that the optimized
2005). The quantification of curcuminoid using UV- method offers good prediction model with standard
Vis spectrometry technique was usually expressed error of prediction of 0.117, 0.061, 0.070, and 0.174
as the total curcuminoids content. Pothitirat and %, respectively for C, DMC, BDMC, and total
Gritsanapan (2006) determined the curcuminoids curcuminoids.
contents in C. longa obtained from 13 regions in
Thailand, measured at 420 nm. Calibration curve was
Flow injection analysis (FIA) gradient elution in HPLC are the preferred methods
for analysis of samples. Capillary electrophoresis
FIA system with on-line detections using was currently developed as an optional technique for
ultraviolet (UV) at 250 nm and fluorometric (FL) the analysis of curcuminoids (Sun et al., 2005).
using ex of 397 nm and em 508 nm is developed
for analysis of curcuminoids in C. longa (Inoue et al., Thin layer chromatography (TLC)
2001). FIA was conducted at ambient temperature Anderson et al. (2000) have isolated
using various organic solvents, either alone or in curcuminoids using preparative silica plates from
combination with water as carrier solution delivered ground turmeric. The extraction of turmeric was
at flow rate of 1.0 ml/min. The detection limit obtained successfully done using dichloromethane with the
using FL (2.0 ng/ml) was better than that using UV aid of magnetic stirrer and heat at reflux for 60 min.
(30.0 ng/ml). The r values obtained was higher The extract was filtered and concentrated in water
than 0.99. The authors reported that the developed bath at 50 oC, and the residue obtained was further
method could be applicable for a regular analysis of redissolved in hexane. Plates were developed three
curcuminoids at an approximately estimation using times using dichloromethaneMeOH (99: 1 v/v).
curcumin standard. The RF value obtained for curcumin was 0.52.
A simple analysis procedure using FIA was The ability of two-dimensional TLC for
also proposed by Thongchai et al (2009)for the analysis of three curcuminoids in the rhizomes of C.
quantification of curcuminoids in turmeric extracts, phaeocaulis, C. kwangsiensis, C. wenyujin and C.
based on the development of a colored complex longa has been investigated by Zhang et al. (2008).
between curcuminoids and 4-aminoantipyrine, in the The chromatographic separation was achieved on
presence of the oxidizing agents such as potassium silica gel 60F254 plate using eluent mixture of
hexacyanoferrate (III) in base environment. Using CHCl3MeOHformic acid (20:1:0.2, v/v/v) and
the optimum parameters, the total contents of petroleum etherethyl acetate (9:1,v/v) for twice
curcuminoids could be assessed within a working development. The chromatogram spots were colorized
concentration range of 5 50 ppm. The sensitivity using 1% vanillinin sulfuric acid. The presence of
expressed with detection and quantification limits curcuminoids in these plants was semi-quantified
were 0.6 and 1.8 ppm, respectively. The precision using densitometrically at scan and reference of 518
parameter of standard deviation for reproducibility and 800 nm, respectively. The authors stated that the
reported was < 2.0 % with the percentage of recovery developed TLC method can be used as a technique
between 94.3108.0 %. for quality control of Curcuma rhizomes. Table 1
compiled some of the published research related to
Chromatographic-based methods the use of TLC and its high performance (HPTLC)
for analysis of curcuminoids.
Chromatography-based methods are emerging
analytical technique in chemical analyses which High performance liquid chromatography
are appropriate for qualitative and quantitative (HPLC) and related techniques
determination of a large number of samples. Besides,
these techniques also offer the separation capacities Because of to their low volatility and thermally
of analytes of interest into its component and make labile properties, curcuminoids are not popular enough
simultaneous analysis of a considerable number of to be determined using gas chromatography and related
samples (Cserhati et al., 2005). techniques. Therefore, several methods including
Due to its advantageous properties, namely low HPLC and its coupling with mass spectrometry (LC/
cost in operation, ease in sample preparation, and the MS), and capillary electrophoresis (CE) have been
availability of several detection systems, thin-layer developed for determination of curcuminoids in foods
chromatography (TLC) was regularly used for the or in pharmaceutical products (Jiang et al., 2006).
identification, separation, quantification or semi- HPLC is the most reported methods for analysis of
quantitative purposes of natural pigments, including curcuminoids due to its versatility and ease in use.
curcuminoids (Forgacs and Cserhati, 2002). However, In most cases, HPLC methods using detector of UV/
high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is VIS spectrophotometer or photodiode-array detector
a method of choice for curcuminoids attributed to the (PDA) at around 260 or 450 nm were used, since
high precision and accuracy offered and low detection these techniques necessitate simple instrumentation
limit achieved. Furthermore, in order to improve the and are sufficiently enough to determine curcuminoids
separation power, multi-development in TLC and in some products (Jadhav et al., 2007).
Densitometric
Matrix sample Stationary phase Mobile phase Sample preparation Reference
scanning
Bos et al. (2007) have used HPLC using PDA analytes were detected using PDA at 420 nm.
detector at 425 nm to analyze curcuminoids in some Because of the intrinsic fluorescence nature of
Curcuma genus which are indigenous to Indonesia, curcuminoids, spectro-fluoresence detector can be
namely C. mangga Val &. v. Zijp, C. heyneana Val. & used to detect the presence of curcuminods. The
v.Zijp, C. aeruginosa Roxb. and C. soloensis Val. The sensitivity of this detector is about 10 times over UV-
separation was achieved using Zorbax Eclipse XDB- Vis spectroscopy. Zhang et al. (2009) has developed
C18 (250 4.6 mm i.d.; 5 m) with mobile phase HPLC with fluorescence to determine curcuminoids
consisted of a mixture of MeOH-H2O (containing in some Curcuma genus using 2,5-xylenol as
0.1% triuoroacetic acid)-acetonitrile (39.5:350:468, standard internal. The max for 2,5-xylenol is 287
v/v/v). The developed method gives the accuracy of nm (excitation) and 303 nm (emission), meanwhile
100.4 0.922 % (C), 99.8 0.806 % (DMC), and for curcuminoids the max used are 426 nm
99.9 0.574% (BDMC), with limit of detection of (exitation) and 539 nm (emission). The separation of
0.044 g for C, 0.048 g for DMC and 0.058 g for curcuminoids substances was achieved within 30 min
BDMC. Some other works were compiled in Table using Cadenza CD-C18 column (250 x 4.6 mm;i.d.,
2. 3 mm) using a mobile phase of mixture of 0.1 M
Recent work related to application of HPLC for of acetate buffer (pH 4.0)-ACN (57:43, v/v) as. The
determination of curcuminoids in commercial food reported retention times of I.S., BDMC, DMC and C
samples in Korea such as curry, mustard, candy, were 11, 19, 22 and 25 min, respectively.
pickle, and snack foods was carried out by Lee et al. Besides for quantitative analysis, HPLC involving
(2011). The column of X Terra MS C18 (250 mm x high speed countercurrent chromatography (CCC)
4.6 mm; 5 m) was used for separation. The mobile using a simple two-phase solvent systems composed
phase was composed of 2% CH3COOH in water (A) of n-hexane/CHCl3/MeOH/H2O (2/4/3/1, v/v) (Inoue
and 2 % CH3COOH in ACN (B). The gradient elution et al., 2008) and pH-zone refining CCC (Patel et
was: 10% B (03 min), 20% B (8 min), 25% B (13 al. 2000) using methyl-tert-butyl ether/ACN/H2O
min), 35% B (18 min) and subsequently held for 10 (4:1:5) was also used for the preparative separation
min before coming back to the initial conditions. The and purification of curcuminoids into the individual
Table 2. Some of reported works related to the use of HPLC and related techniques for
determination of curcuminoids
Tablet, tea, and PEGASIL ODS (2 x CH3COOH 0.01% in H2O MS The samples were Inoue et al.
candy 150 mm, 5m) (A) and ACN (B). 0 min at extracted using (2003)
45% B, 015 min with a MeOH methanol and
linear increase from 45 to ultrasonicated for 10
95% B, and at last hold at min
95% B.
the best solvents for the extraction of curcuminoids sugar and polyol pathway in diabetic albino rats. Plant
the samples. The separation was achieved using Foods for Human Nutrition 57: 41-52.
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methacrylate-methacrlic acid solution containing Koulman, A. and Kayser, O. 2007. HPLC-photodiode
Array Detection Analysis of Curcuminoids in Curcuma
50% dimethyl sulfoxide. The calibration curve
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is as low as 0.1 g/ml. The authors stated that this Banerjee, R.K. 2004. Turmeric and curcumin:
technique is advantageous because of its low level of biological actions and medicinal applications. Current
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Conclusion Chromatography in authenticity and traceability
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