Curcuma zanthorrhiza CO2

Latin name :

Curcuma zanthorrhiza

Botanical profile :

Curcuma is a flowering plant belonging to the Zingiberaceae family and the Curcuma genus.

Geographic origin :

This variety of turmeric is native to the island of Java in Indonesia. It is however possible to find it in Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. To a lesser extent, this plant grows in Vietnam, Cambodia or Japan.

Chemotypes :

There are about eighty species of turmeric, however Curcuma zanthorrhiza represents a tiny fraction of the genus. The most common one is Curcuma Longa (Curcuma Longa EO) which accounts for the overwhelming majority of the extracted qualities. Indeed, this one is mainly used as a spice, the production volumes are therefore very important. It is also possible to find other varieties such as Curcuma aromatica, Curcuma domestica, Curcuma zedoafia, Curcuma caesia and Curcuma amada.

Extraction process :

This plant is cultivated for its rhizome. Once the plant is harvested, the rhizome is separated and washed to remove any residual soil. It is then polished and ground into powder. This is similar to the treatment performed on Ginger EO. At this stage, two types of extraction are possible. Either by extraction with a volatile solvent to obtain an oleoresin ( which is the most common case - Curcuma zanthorrhiza Absolute - as it gives a better yield, around 10-15%) or to obtain an essential oil. Curcuma Zanthorrhiza EO is obtained through the Supercritical CO2 extraction of sliced and dried rhizomes

Major Components :

Xanthorrhizol ( >20%)
Alpha-curcumene (17 - 23%)
Alpha-cedrene (10-20%)
Delta-germacrene ( <10%)