Curcuma comosa
Encyclopedia
Curcuma comosa is a species of flowering plant in the ginger family
. It is native to much of Asia
, including Thailand
, Indonesia
, and Malaysia. The herb is cultivated in Thailand, especially in the Northern Province, including Petchaboon, and the Northeastern Province, including Loei
. Curcuma comosa is widely used as a traditional herbal remedy
.
properties in the treatment of postpartum uterine bleeding
and uterine
inflammation
. Research suggests that Curcuma comosa extract possesses a strong anti-inflammatory activity and has a potential to be developed as a therapeutic compound for diverse neurological disorders
associated with inflammation. Thai traditional practitioners use the rhizome
of C. comosa in the treatment of women for the alleviation of postpartum uterine pain, the enhancement of uterine involution
and the reduction of uterine inflammation after delivery
. Numerous studies have been conducted on the effects of C. comosa showing that it can reduce blood cholesterol
, increase the thickness of epithelial cells lining the vagina
, and decrease uterine smooth muscle contraction. The plant is also used to repair vaginal wall prolapse
, tighten vaginal muscles, and relieve premenstrual syndrome and cramping
. It has been used for centuries in Thailand as a remedy for many other gynecological problems including vaginal dryness, hot flashes, excessive white and yellow vaginal discharge
, bad odor, and irregular, excessive, or absent menstrual cycle
s. It appears to increase the effect of ovarian
and testicular
hormone
s, and may have an estrogen
ic effect. It is used in Thai luxury spas
to lift sagging muscles, promote circulation, and provide good health and glowing skin.
as compared to female estradiol
hormone. Results reported included an increase in the thickness of the uterus epithelial cells lining the vagina and improved growth and induction of keratin
synthesis in the mucous membrane
of the vagina. However, estrogenic activities of Curcuma comosa were milder than those of estradiol.
Methanolic extract of rhizome of C. comosa has been proven to kill the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans
. The extract was purified to its active ingredients and it was found that some diphenylheptanoid compounds, such as 1,7-diphenyl-3-acetoxy-hept-trans-6-ene, can inhibit the motility
of the roundworm.
Butanolic and ethyl acetate
extract of rhizome of C. comosa had a stimulative effect on bile
secretion, and a decrease in blood cholesterol was reported. Separation of the active ingredients from diarylheptanoids and phloracetophenone glucoside compounds were carried out and some active compounds, such as 1,7-diphenyl-5-hydroxy-(1E)-1-heptene and 4,6-dihydroxy-2-o-(b-D-glucopyranosyl) acetophenone, were found to have a stimulative effect on bile secretion in rats.
A 95% ethanol extract of C. comosa decreased uterine smooth muscle contraction in rats.
An ethyl acetate extract of the rhizome was orally administered to male sheep and hamster
s, and a decrease in cholesterol and triglyceride were reported.
Zingiberaceae
Zingiberaceae, or the Ginger family, is a family of flowering plants consisting of aromatic perennial herbs with creeping horizontal or tuberous rhizomes, comprising ca. 52 genera and more than 1300 species, distributed throughout tropical Africa, Asia, and the Americas.Many species are important...
. It is native to much of Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, including Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, and Malaysia. The herb is cultivated in Thailand, especially in the Northern Province, including Petchaboon, and the Northeastern Province, including Loei
Loei
Loei is a town in the north-east of Thailand. In 2005, it had a population of 22,677. Loei covers the whole tambon Kut Pong of Mueang Loei district.Loei is the capital of the Loei Province.- References :...
. Curcuma comosa is widely used as a traditional herbal remedy
Herbalism
Herbalism is a traditional medicinal or folk medicine practice based on the use of plants and plant extracts. Herbalism is also known as botanical medicine, medical herbalism, herbal medicine, herbology, herblore, and phytotherapy...
.
Uses
This medicinal plant is used for its anti-inflammatoryAnti-inflammatory
Anti-inflammatory refers to the property of a substance or treatment that reduces inflammation. Anti-inflammatory drugs make up about half of analgesics, remedying pain by reducing inflammation as opposed to opioids, which affect the central nervous system....
properties in the treatment of postpartum uterine bleeding
Postpartum hemorrhage
Hemorrhage after delivery, or postpartum hemorrhage, is the loss of greater than 500 ml of blood following vaginal delivery, or 1000 ml of blood following cesarean section...
and uterine
Uterus
The uterus or womb is a major female hormone-responsive reproductive sex organ of most mammals including humans. One end, the cervix, opens into the vagina, while the other is connected to one or both fallopian tubes, depending on the species...
inflammation
Inflammation
Inflammation is part of the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. Inflammation is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and to initiate the healing process...
. Research suggests that Curcuma comosa extract possesses a strong anti-inflammatory activity and has a potential to be developed as a therapeutic compound for diverse neurological disorders
Neurology
Neurology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the nervous system. Specifically, it deals with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of disease involving the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems, including their coverings, blood vessels, and all effector tissue,...
associated with inflammation. Thai traditional practitioners use the rhizome
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
of C. comosa in the treatment of women for the alleviation of postpartum uterine pain, the enhancement of uterine involution
Muscle tone
In physiology, medicine, and anatomy, muscle tone is the continuous and passive partial contraction of the muscles, or the muscle’s resistance to passive stretch during resting state. It helps maintain posture, and it declines during REM sleep.-Purpose:Unconscious nerve impulses maintain the...
and the reduction of uterine inflammation after delivery
Childbirth
Childbirth is the culmination of a human pregnancy or gestation period with the birth of one or more newborn infants from a woman's uterus...
. Numerous studies have been conducted on the effects of C. comosa showing that it can reduce blood cholesterol
Blood lipids
Blood lipids are lipids in the blood, either free or bound to other molecules. They are mostly transported in a protein capsule, and the density of the lipids and type of protein determines the fate of the particle and its influence on metabolism. The concentration of blood lipids depends on...
, increase the thickness of epithelial cells lining the vagina
Vagina
The vagina is a fibromuscular tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles. Female insects and other invertebrates also have a vagina, which is the terminal part of the...
, and decrease uterine smooth muscle contraction. The plant is also used to repair vaginal wall prolapse
Prolapse
Prolapse literally means "to fall out of place", from the Latin prolabi meaning "to fall out". In medicine, prolapse is a condition where organs, such as the uterus, fall down or slip out of place. It is used for organs protruding through the vagina or the rectum or for the misalignment of the...
, tighten vaginal muscles, and relieve premenstrual syndrome and cramping
Dysmenorrhea
Dysmenorrhea is a gynecological medical condition of pain during menstruation that interferes with daily activities, as defined by ACOG and others. Still, dysmenorrhea is often defined simply as menstrual pain, or at least menstrual pain that is excessive...
. It has been used for centuries in Thailand as a remedy for many other gynecological problems including vaginal dryness, hot flashes, excessive white and yellow vaginal discharge
Vaginal discharge
Vaginal discharge is term given to biological fluids contained within or expelled from the vagina.While most discharge is normal and can reflect the various stages of a woman's cycle, some discharge can be a result of an infection, such as a sexually transmitted disease.The term blennorrhea is...
, bad odor, and irregular, excessive, or absent menstrual cycle
Menstrual cycle
The menstrual cycle is the scientific term for the physiological changes that can occur in fertile women for the purpose of sexual reproduction. This article focuses on the human menstrual cycle....
s. It appears to increase the effect of ovarian
Ovary
The ovary is an ovum-producing reproductive organ, often found in pairs as part of the vertebrate female reproductive system. Ovaries in anatomically female individuals are analogous to testes in anatomically male individuals, in that they are both gonads and endocrine glands.-Human anatomy:Ovaries...
and testicular
Testicle
The testicle is the male gonad in animals. Like the ovaries to which they are homologous, testes are components of both the reproductive system and the endocrine system...
hormone
Hormone
A hormone is a chemical released by a cell or a gland in one part of the body that sends out messages that affect cells in other parts of the organism. Only a small amount of hormone is required to alter cell metabolism. In essence, it is a chemical messenger that transports a signal from one...
s, and may have an estrogen
Estrogen
Estrogens , oestrogens , or œstrogens, are a group of compounds named for their importance in the estrous cycle of humans and other animals. They are the primary female sex hormones. Natural estrogens are steroid hormones, while some synthetic ones are non-steroidal...
ic effect. It is used in Thai luxury spas
Spa
The term spa is associated with water treatment which is also known as balneotherapy. Spa towns or spa resorts typically offer various health treatments. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters goes back to prehistoric times. Such practices have been popular worldwide, but are...
to lift sagging muscles, promote circulation, and provide good health and glowing skin.
Research
Studies in Thailand researched the effects of crude extract from the root of Curcuma comosa on the uterus of the ratRat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
as compared to female estradiol
Estradiol
Estradiol is a sex hormone. Estradiol is abbreviated E2 as it has 2 hydroxyl groups in its molecular structure. Estrone has 1 and estriol has 3 . Estradiol is about 10 times as potent as estrone and about 80 times as potent as estriol in its estrogenic effect...
hormone. Results reported included an increase in the thickness of the uterus epithelial cells lining the vagina and improved growth and induction of keratin
Keratin
Keratin refers to a family of fibrous structural proteins. Keratin is the key of structural material making up the outer layer of human skin. It is also the key structural component of hair and nails...
synthesis in the mucous membrane
Mucous membrane
The mucous membranes are linings of mostly endodermal origin, covered in epithelium, which are involved in absorption and secretion. They line cavities that are exposed to the external environment and internal organs...
of the vagina. However, estrogenic activities of Curcuma comosa were milder than those of estradiol.
Methanolic extract of rhizome of C. comosa has been proven to kill the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans
Caenorhabditis elegans
Caenorhabditis elegans is a free-living, transparent nematode , about 1 mm in length, which lives in temperate soil environments. Research into the molecular and developmental biology of C. elegans was begun in 1974 by Sydney Brenner and it has since been used extensively as a model...
. The extract was purified to its active ingredients and it was found that some diphenylheptanoid compounds, such as 1,7-diphenyl-3-acetoxy-hept-trans-6-ene, can inhibit the motility
Motility
Motility is a biological term which refers to the ability to move spontaneously and actively, consuming energy in the process. Most animals are motile but the term applies to single-celled and simple multicellular organisms, as well as to some mechanisms of fluid flow in multicellular organs, in...
of the roundworm.
Butanolic and ethyl acetate
Ethyl acetate
Ethyl acetate is the organic compound with the formula CH3COOCH2CH3. This colorless liquid has a characteristic sweet smell and is used in glues, nail polish removers, and cigarettes...
extract of rhizome of C. comosa had a stimulative effect on bile
Bile
Bile or gall is a bitter-tasting, dark green to yellowish brown fluid, produced by the liver of most vertebrates, that aids the process of digestion of lipids in the small intestine. In many species, bile is stored in the gallbladder and upon eating is discharged into the duodenum...
secretion, and a decrease in blood cholesterol was reported. Separation of the active ingredients from diarylheptanoids and phloracetophenone glucoside compounds were carried out and some active compounds, such as 1,7-diphenyl-5-hydroxy-(1E)-1-heptene and 4,6-dihydroxy-2-o-(b-D-glucopyranosyl) acetophenone, were found to have a stimulative effect on bile secretion in rats.
A 95% ethanol extract of C. comosa decreased uterine smooth muscle contraction in rats.
An ethyl acetate extract of the rhizome was orally administered to male sheep and hamster
Hamster
Hamsters are rodents belonging to the subfamily Cricetinae. The subfamily contains about 25 species, classified in six or seven genera....
s, and a decrease in cholesterol and triglyceride were reported.
Further reading
- Piyachaturawat, P. et al., (1998). Growth suppressing effect of Curcuma comosa extract on male reproductive organs in immature rats. Pharmaceutical Biol 36(1): 44-49.
- Anonymous. (2000). Bureau of Agricultural Commodities Promotion and Management. Department of Agricultural Extension. Handbook of Medicinal Plants and Spices.
- Drugs from Medicinal Plants. 1st ed. Bangkok
- Jantaratnotai, N., et al. (2006). Inhibitory effect of Curcuma comosa on NO production and cytokine expression in LPS-activated microglia. Life Sci 78(6): 571-577.
- Rattanachamnong P., et al. (2008). Effects of hexane extract of Curcuma comosa on plaque formation and platelet aggregation in hypercholesterolemic rabbits. Thai J Pharmacol 30(1): 88-92.
- Kittichanun C., et al. (2010). Effects of Curcuma comosa extracts on hepatic cytochrome P450 activities in rats. J Health Res 24 (1): 1-6.