Metabolomic Characterization of a Low Phytic Acid and High Anti-oxidative Cultivar of Turmeric

Turmeric, the rhizome of Curcuma longa, has a long history of use as a spice and also as a traditional medicine in many Asian countries. To reveal unique morphological features of a newly registered Curcuma cultivar, C longa cv. Okinawa Ougon (Ougon), non-targeted LC-MS and GC-MS analyses were conducted. The analysis revealed its distinctive chemical properties: lower amount of phytic acid and inorganic metals such as Fe, Mn, and Al, as well as higher concentrations of reduced derivatives of curcuminoids, such as dihydrobisdemethoxycurcumin, tetrahydrobisdemethoxycurcumin, dihydrodemethoxycurcumin, and tetrahydrodemethoxycurcumin. In addition, germacrane-type sesquiterpenes were almost absent although α-humulene and β-caryophyllene, generated by the same biosynthetic route, were present. Presumably the alternation of the metal ion content, serving as a cofactor of sesquiterpene synthase, modulates the resulting variation of the sesquiterpenes. In summary, the cultivar Ougon is considered a promising candidate for functional food additives.