Extraction, purification and applications of curcumin from plant materials-A comprehensive review

Abstract Background Curcumin is a safe substance that is used as food cosmetic additive and pharmaceutical product. Obtaining pure curcumin from plant sources is very important for fundamental research as well as for the above applications. Efficient extraction and purification methods, which meet green chemistry criteria including safety, environment-friendliness, economic requirements, and process efficiency are needed. Scope and approach This review provides an up-to-date and comprehensive summary of the various methods used for extraction and purification of curcumin from plant materials, and its various applications in food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical fields. Key findings and conclusions Many different extraction methods ranging from conventional techniques (e.g. soxhlet extraction, maceration and solvent extraction) to advanced extraction technologies (e.g. ultrasound-assisted extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, enzyme-assisted extraction, supercritical liquid extraction, etc.) have been exploited to obtain curcumin from plant materials. Various other substances co-exist with curcumin in crude extracts. Many different purification techniques, alone or in combination, have been investigated for isolation and purification of curcumin from curcumin extracts or commercially available crude curcumin. These include conventional techniques (e.g. column chromatography, semi-preparative high performance liquid chromatography) and supplementary modern techniques (e.g. high-speed counter-current chromatography, supercritical fluid chromatography). To recover curcumin from plant materials, selection of apposite routes based on novel technologies (both in extraction and purification) is important to maximize efficiency, to decrease use of toxic solvent, as well as to reduce the processing time and energy consumption. Additionally, various potential or commercial uses of curcumin are reviewed.