Action Uses similar to those of C. longa. Essential oil from rhizomes— antimicrobial, antifungal and
anthelmintic. The tubers are applied externally to bruises and sprains, to skin eruptions and infections. A decoction is administered in biiary gastritis.
Fresh rhizomes contain a number of sesquiterpenes including curdione and cerumol. Curcumol and curdione showed inhibitory activity on sarcoma 180 in mice.
The rhizomes yield 6.1% of an essential oil with d-camphene 0.8, dcamphor 2.5, sesquiterpenes 65.5, sesquiterpene alcohols 22.0, acids 0.7%. The essential oil shows high amounts of ar-curcumene (18.6%), beta-curcumene (25.5%) and xanthorrhizol (25.7%).
The oil, on intraperitoneal administration, partly reversed toxipathic hepatitis in mice induced by CC14.
