Abstract:
Curcuma caesia Roxb., commonly known as black turmeric is an important medicinal plant
belonging to the family Zingiberaceae. It is a perennial crop with bluish-black rhizome. The
rhizome in inner part is bluish-black in colour and emits a characteristic sweet smell due to the
presence of essential oil. It contains: alkaloids, terpenes, amino acids, carbohydrates, tannins,
flavones, flavonoids, steroids, reducing sugars, proteins, anthraquinones, glycosides, cardiac
glycosides. The rhizomes have a high value because of its putative medicinal properties. The
rhizomes are used in carminative properties (Gantait et al., 2011), treatment of smooth muscle
relaxant activity, haemorrhoids, leprosy, asthma, cancer, epilepsy, fever, wound, vomiting,
menstrual disorder, anthelmentic, aphrodisiac, gonorrhoeal discharges and inflammation
(Arulmozhi et al., 2006 and Sasikumar, 2005).
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