504 Pages 83 B/W Illustrations
    by CRC Press

    For the last 6000 years turmeric has been used in Ayurvedic medicine to alleviate pain, balance digestion, purify body and mind, clear skin diseases, expel phlegm, and invigorate the blood. Nowadays, this plant has acquired great importance with its anti-aging, anti-cancer, anti-Altzheimer, antioxidant, and a variety of other medicinal properties. The need of the hour is to verify and validate the traditional uses by subjecting them to proper experimental studies. To do this effectively there needs to be a single comprehensive source of the knowledge to date.

    Turmeric: the genus Curcuma is the first comprehensive monographic treatment on turmeric. It covers all aspects of turmeric including botany, genetic resources, crop improvement, processing, biotechnology, pharmacology, medicinal and traditional uses, and its use as a spice and flavoring. Bringing together the premier experts in the field from India, Japan, UK, and USA, this book offers the most thorough examination of the cultivation, market trends, processing, and products as well as pharmacokinetic and medicinal properties of this highly regarded spice. While Ayurveda has known for millennia that turmeric cleanses the body, modern science has now discovered that it produces glutathione-s-transferase that detoxifies the body and therefore strengthens the liver, heart, and immune system. By comparing traditional uses with modern scientific discoveries, the text provides a complete view of the medicinal value and health benefits of turmeric. Heavily referenced with an exhaustive bibliography at the end of each chapter, the book collects and collates the currently available data on turmeric.

    Covering everything from cultivation to medicine, Turmeric: the Genus Curcuma serves as an invaluable reference for those involved with agriculture, marketing, processing or product development, and may function as a catalyst for future research into the health benefits and applications of turmeric.

    Turmeric — The Golden Spice of Life, P.N. Ravindran
    Botany and Crop Improvement of Turmeric, P.N. Ravindran, K. Nirmal Babu, and K.N. Shiva
    Phytochemistry of the Genus Curcuma, L. Nahar and S. D. Sarker
    Biotechnology of Turmeric and Related Species K. Nirma Babu, D. Minoo, S.P. Geetha  K. Praveen and V. Sumathi
    Agronomy of Turmeric, K. Sivaraman
    Diseases of Turmeric, N.P. Dohroo
    Insect Pests of Turmeric, S. Devasahayam and K.M. Abdulla Koya
    Post harvest Technology and Processing of Turmeric, K.V. Balakrishnan
    Bioactivity of Turmeric, S. D. Sarker and L. Nahar
    Curcumin — Biological and Medicinal Properties, B. B. Aggarwal, I. D. Bhatt, H. Ichikawa, K. S. Ahn, G. Sethi,
    S. K. Sandur, C. Natarajan, N. Seeram, and S. Shishodia
    Turmeric — Production, Marketing, and Economics, M.S. Madan
    Turmeric in Traditional Medicine, R. Remadevi, E. Surendran, and T. Kimura
    Turmeric as Spice and Flavorant, K.S. Premavalli
    Other Economically Important Curcuma Species, J. Skornickova, T. Rehse, and M. Sabu
    Turmeric Production — Constraints, Gaps, and Future Vision, P.A. Valsala and K.V. Peter
    Epilogue
    Index

    Biography

    P. N. Ravindran, K. Nirmal Babu, Kandaswamy Sivaraman

    “With 3 editors, 33 contributors, and 15 chapters, this book represents a balanced presentation. There are chapters on botany, crop improvement, phytochemistry, biotechnology, agronomy, diseases, insect pests, postharvest technology, and processing, bioactives of turmeric and one chapter devoted solely to the major chemical, curcumin, production marketing and economics, traditional medicine, culinary attributes, other species of Curcuma, and turmeric production.”
    ––James Duke, Economic Botany, 61(4)

    “Stewart has crafted  a very readable tale about industrial flower production. Anyone with interests in horticulture or floriculture, will enjoy the book and it should be a “must read” for anyone teaching Economic Botany.
    ––Bradley C. Benett, Florida International University, in Economic Botany, 61(4), 2007

    "This book provides a useful resource for the researchers and all those who are involved in processing, marketing and use of turmeric."
    —Cinzia Silori in Advancement in Horticultural Science, No. 3, 2008

    "… comprehensive monographic treatment that delves into many aspects about turmeric … . Experts from India, Japan, U.K. and U.S.A. offer a thorough examination of tumeric’s cultivation, market trends, processing, products and medicinal properties. … the first reference work about turmeric, provides exhaustive coverage, and will interest botanists and professionals in the perfumery and food industries and to those interested in alternative and conventional medicine."
    ––Dorothea Bedigian, Missouri Botanical Garden in Plant Science Bulletin, Volume 54, No. 1, 2008