Turmeric (Curcuma domestica val) is one of the potential of
medicinal plants. Turmeric is a
herbaceous plant which was annual.
Plants grow upright achieve high ranging between 1 to 1.5 m. This
herb has a rod-ridden by the pseudo-stem of the leaf midrib. Spiky leaves of this
plant and slippery with about 30 cm long and 8 cm wide. Saffron flowers appear when the
plant is quite old. Flowers emerge from the pseudo stem with a length of about 10-15cm. Color white or white flowers striped green and sometimes pink edges.
The main part of this
plant is a rhizome in the soil. It usually grows creeping rhizome and rhizome parent usually elliptical in shape. If the roots are peeled will look flesh colored orange, bitter taste, and aroma typical of turmeric.
Turmeric is a type of
herb that contains chemical compounds, the volatile oil and curcuminoids. Essential oils are chemical compounds containing sesquiterpenes alcohol, turmeron and zingiberen. Curcuminoids curcumin compound containing a yellow covering desmetoksi bisdesmetoksi-curcumin and curcumin. In addition, turmeric rhizomes contain starch, gums, and gum. While that gives fragrant aroma and flavor are typical in the rhizome essential oil.
Rhizome of this
herb is very useful as an anticoagulant, lowers blood pressure, de-worming, asthma drugs, blood booster, to treat abdominal pain, liver disease, carminative, stimulant, rashes, insect bites, diarrhea and rheumatism.
