A Green Method for Preparation of Curcuminoid‑rich Curcuma longa Extract and Evaluation of its Anticancer Activity

Objective: To establish a green method for preparation of curcuminoid‑rich C. longa extracts (CRE) using microwave‑assisted extraction (MAE) together with a simple one‑step fractionation and to investigate the anticancer activity of CRE compared with the three marker curcuminoids. Materials and Methods: MAE was used as a green extraction method, and a macroporous resin (Diaion® HP‑20) column was used for fractionation of C. longa extract to produce CRE. The sulforhodamine B assay was used to evaluate in vitro anticancer activity of the curcuminoids. Results: The optimal conditions of MAE for extraction of curcuminoids are employing ethanol as the solvent and using three irradiation cycles in a microwave powered at 900 W (one cycle is 3 min power‑on and 30 s power‑off). The curcuminoid extract was subsequently fractionated on a Diaion® HP‑20 column eluted with 55% and 60% v/v ethanol, respectively, to obtain CRE that contained total curcuminoids of 88% w/w. CRE exhibited good anticancer activities against A549, MCF‑7, HeLa, and HT‑29 cells, with 50% inhibitory concentration values of 5.2, 4.5, 7.5, and 8.3 µg/mL, respectively, which almost equals those of the marker curcuminoids. Conclusion: This study indicated a potential use of CRE for anticancer purposes in food and nutraceutical applications. CRE has more advantages than pure curcuminoids for industrial applications in terms of using simple, low‑cost, and environmentally friendly processes.