Essential oil chemotypes of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) cultivated in four different farmers in Southwest of Paraná State - Brazil

Abstract

Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) has economic value for its medicinal and nutritional properties. This study aimed to evaluate the yield and phytochemical profile of essential oil (EO) from turmeric rhizomes produced by family farmers in rural communities in Francisco Beltrão – PR, and soil microbiological quality from those farmers. Four turmeric farmers from the communities of São Braz, Rio Tuna, Rio Saudade and Nova Sessão were selected. Soil samples and rhizomes of turmeric were collected and subsequently evaluated for soil microbial biomass carbon, soil basal respiration and soil metabolic quotient and EO yield of rhizomes by hydrodistillation. After, EO yield (%) was calculated and the chemical identification by GC/MS. The Nova Sessão community had better soil microbiological quality, whereas the EO yield (3.02%) was higher for the Rio Tuna community. The four rural communities showed good results for the EO yield (ranging from 1.68 to 3.02% and compared to the literature, which ranged from 0.2 to 5.27%), with the São Braz community, showing a significant reduction and the Rio Tuna community had the highest EO yield. Also was observed variation in the major EO chemical compounds, e.g.: ar-turmerone (44.27 to 64.21%), curlone (12.27 to 20.83%), α-zingiberene (1.30 to 15.97%) and β-sesquiphellandrene (1.24 to 10.07%). It is concluded that among the four communities studied, there was significant variation in the EO yield and differences in EO quality of turmeric, especially in the major components ar-turmerone and α-zingiberene.