Abstract

• The preliminary phytochemical screening of Curcuma caesia Roxb. revealed the presence of alkaloids, -amino acids, carbohydrates, flavonoids, glycosides, phenolic compounds, saponins, starch, tannins, steriods and terpenoids and the absence of cyanogenic glycosides and reducing sugars. The higher total phenol content (µg GAE/mg) was detected in watery extract (234 µg GAE/mg) than ethanol extract (164 µg GAE/mg) of the rhizome of C. caesia. The higher total flavonoid content (µg QE/mg) was detected in ethanol extract (58.3 µg QE /mg) than watery extract (136.1 µg QE /mg) of the rhizome of C. caesia. The rhizome of C. caesia was found to have antioxidant activity. IC50 values of ethanol and watery extracts are 10.31 g/mL and 56.85 g/mL respectively. Antioxidant potency of ethanol and watery extracts were concluded to be mild if compare with the potency of standard butylated hydroxytoluene (IC50 = 6.85 g/mL). The essential oil from the rhizome of C. caesia was extracted by steam distillation method. The components of essential oil were characterized by GC-MS. From resulting data, ten components were observed in the essential oil of C. caesia, namely eucalyptol, camphor, p-menth-2-en-9-ol, L-α-terpineol, α-bulnesene, iso-caryophllene, γ-muurolene, (5R, 6R)3, 6-dimethyl-5-(prop-1-en-2-yl)-6-vinyl4,5,6,7-tetrahydrobenzofuran, β-elemene [1-ethenyl-1-methyl-2,4 bis (prop-1-en-2-yl) cyclohexane]and β-elemenone.