*Article* **Essential Oil Chemotypes of Four Vietnamese** *Curcuma* **Species Cultivated in North Alabama**

**Lam Duong 1, Srinivasa Rao Mentreddy 1,\*, Rakesh Satyal 2, Prabodh Satyal 3 and William N. Setzer 3,4,\***


**Abstract:** *Curcuma* (turmeric) species are important culinary and medicinal plants, and the essential oils of *Curcuma* rhizomes have demonstrated promising pharmacological properties. The essential oils (EOs) of *Curcuma* species possess a wide variety of pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory, anticancerous, antiproliferative, hypocholesterolemic, antidiabetic, antirheumatic, hypotensive, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiviral, antithrombotic, antityrosinase, and cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) inhibitory activities, among others. *Curcuma* oils are also known to enhance immune function, promote blood circulation, accelerate toxin elimination, and stimulate digestion. *C. longa* (turmeric) and *C. zedoaria* (zedoary) are the most extensively studied species of *Curcuma* due to their high commercial value. There is some interest in expanding the cultivation of *Curcuma* species to the southern regions in North America where the climate is favorable. The purpose of this work was to examine the rhizome essential oil composition of four species of *Curcuma* (*C. aromatica*, *C. caesia*, *C. longa*, *C. zanthorrhiza*) that were obtained from Vietnam and cultivated in North Alabama. The rhizome essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatographic techniques. The essential oils of *C. aromatica* were dominated by curzerenone (14.7–18.6%), germacrone (10.7– 14.7%), 1,8-cineole (5.2–11.7%), and an unidentified component (8.7–11.0%). The major components in *C. longa* rhizome oil were *ar*-turmerone (8.3–36.1%), α-turmerone (12.7–15.2%), β-turmerone (5.0– 15.4%), α-zingiberene (4.6–13.9%), and β-sesquiphellandrene (4.6–10.0%). The essential oils of *C. caesia* and *C. zanthorrhiza* were rich in curzerenone, curdione, and germacrone. These adapted turmeric varieties in North Alabama have potential use for medical purposes and medicinal plant oil market demands in the U.S.

**Keywords:** turmeric; *Curcuma aromatica*; *Curcuma caesia*; *Curcuma longa*; *Curcuma zanthorrhiza*; chemical composition; enantiomeric distribution; chiral
