Curcuma longa L. frequently known as the Turmeric is a flowering plant
belonging to the ginger family (Zingiberaceae). The rhizomes that grow below the
ground are popularly used in cooking as a coloring and flavoring agent. Also, for ages,
turmeric has been known for its medicinal properties, such as treatment of wounds,
inflammatory conditions, arthritis, blood, gastric and hepatic disorders. The
ethnopharmacology-based approach has shown that turmeric has a wide variety of
bioactive polyphenols. Among them, curcumin, a yellow pigment predominantly found
in the rhizome, has been extensively studied. Many preclinical and clinical studies have
found that turmeric and its bioactive constituents possess multiple benefits in treating
inflammatory conditions of the joints and arthritis. In this chapter, we compile the
validated observations and discuss their mode of action that confers their beneficial
effects.
Keywords: Curcuma longa L., Curcumin, Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Turmeric.
