Profiling non-polar terpenes of rhizomes for distinguishing some Indian Curcuma species

Abstract Identification of the genus Curcuma is poorly understood. The objective of the study is to find biomarker compound(s) in some Indian Curcuma species with the aim to identify, through metabolite profiling and chemometric approach. Total 45 terpenes, including 19 monoterpenes and 16 sesquiterpenes could be detected in the hexane extract of five species of Curcuma e.g. C. amada, C. aromatica, C. caesia, C. longa, and C. zedoaria . Based on terpene profile, dendrogram and OPLSDA separated all the five species from each other. Multivariate analysis carried out considering C. longa as one group and the other species as another group revealed that sesquiterpenes and a few monoterpenes played important role to distinguish species particularly C. longa . Ar-Curcumene, beta-sesquiphellandrene, and alpha-zingiberene were detected in only C. longa . Curzerene, isoborneol, germacrene D could not be detected from C. longa and C. amada . C. caesia is characterized by the presence of delta-cadinene.