MICROSCOPIC ANALYSIS OF CURCUMA LONGA L. USING MULTIVARIATE TEST

Rhizoma Curcumae longae is the dried rhizome of Curcuma longa L. (Zingiberaceae), commonly known as turmeric, has a long history of traditional uses for culinary purposes as a spice and as a food colorant. This study was aimed at establishing the microscopic identification of different commercial samples and developing parameters for discriminating turmeric powders. In this study, fifteen samples from different origins were analyzed, and each experiment was performed in triplicate. Statistical techniques were used to analyze the partition of the structure observations. The principal component analysis was applied to the distribution of the forty-five sample observations. In consequence, eleven discriminating structure features were identified. The most diagnostic features are yellow clumps of gelatinized starch, covering trichome, starch granules, vessels, cork, and fibers. The results showed that microscopic observation of rhizoma Curcumae longae powder could be grouped according to the presence of non-glandular trichome, and calcium oxalate crystals clusters. These findings revealed that microscopic analysis, coupled with statistical analysis, could provide a simple platform for medicinal plant identification, particularly for the diagnostic authentication of commercial samples.