Bioactive Compounds and Biological Activities of Curcuma Species

The genus Curcuma, belonging to the family Zingiberaceae, is one of the largest groups of aromatic medicinal plants. It comprises about 120 species, which are distributed mostly in South and Southeast Asian countries except for a few species found in Australia, the Philippines, and the South Pacific. Curcuma species are commonly used as food, natural dye, or in traditional medicine for the treatment of wounds, hemorrhoids, epilepsy, leprosy, leukoderma, rheumatoid arthritis, toothache, fever, and other respiratory problems, such as asthma, allergies, and bronchitis. During the last few decades, there has been an increased interest in the pharmacological properties and bioactive compounds of Curcuma species and several studies reported different pharmacological activities, including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cytoprotective, antitussive, antidiabetic, antiepileptic, antiangiogenic, antimicrobial, choleretic, anthelmintic, and analgesic activities. Therefore, this chapter summarizes the bioactive chemical contents and discusses the biological properties of Curcuma species, which will provide information for the development of potential plant-based drugs in the future.