Wellness Foods Europe CO2 extracts CO2 extracts Wellness Foods Europe

medicine for haemorrhoids, skin rashes, in-
siderably by between 10 and 30 %. Curcuma
fected wounds and eczema. According to re-
cent ethno-botanical studies made in Java, it
is very efcient during an attack of gout.
Whilst it is effective for so many ailments,
it is very often an ingredient in jamus reci-
pes which are a typical Indonesian kind of
elixir or liquid remedy.
In South East Asia, temulawak is a high-
ly appreciated food ingredient because of its
Curcuma xanthor- spicy and bitter taste, which is stronger than
that of turmeric. Sliced rhizomes are cooked
xanthorrhiza increases fat excretion into the
faeces. This process can be explained by an
acceleration of the metabolism of the lipids
from extra-hepatic tissues to the liver, thus
increasing the excretion of cholesterol via the
bile (6).
Treatment of oral infections
Streptococcus mutans is probably the main
bacterium responsible for bad teeth. Howev-
er recent studies have shown how powerful

rhiza CO2 extract: with vegetables. As it enhances avors, dried,

cooked pieces are also used to make soft
xanthorrhizol is against Streptococcus mu-
tans in particular and against oral pathogens

new applications
by Franois Grard, independent ethno-
botanist of Boswellia sarl, France and
Dr Karl-Werner Quirin, managing director
of FLAVEX Naturextrakte GmbH, Rehlin-
gen, Germany
Photo: Hans Erken
drinks with palm sugar. in general. It is interesting to note even if al-
most all Curcumas are reported to be used
Latest research on physiological in the case of bad breath in ethno-botanical
properties studies, that Curcuma xanthorrhiza has the
Unlike Curcuma longa, our temulawak con- advantage of having measured antibacterial
tains xanthorrhizol, which has extremely in- activity (7, 8).
teresting properties and various other mole-
cules like -curcumene and borneol, which
are either not present in turmeric or are pres-
ent in much lower quantities. Given the ex-
traordinarily large range of medicinal prop-
erties attributed to turmeric, we can really
consider Curcuma xanthorrhiza to be an even
better panacea:

Plant description and origin
The curcuma genus belongs to the great
Zingiberaceae family, which includes species
like ginger, cardamom and galangal. It num-
bers around 50 species, all originating from
South East Asia and Australia. Curcuma lon-
ga, known as turmeric, is probably the most
common of the Curcuma species.
Curcuma xanthorrhiza is a native plant of
Java, Bali and the Moluccas. Known in Indo-
nesia as Temulawak, this beautiful plant, a
monocotyledon, can reach a height of 1 me-
ter and has long banana-type leaves. Very
infrequently it grows big, strong, green and
purple colored inorescences.
It is from the rhizomes that the CO2 ex-
tract is made. They are dark yellow outside
but they can have a ashy orange or even
a reddish orange inside. After cleaning and
peeling they are sliced and dried in thin layer
at 50 C.
Traditional uses
In Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, Temu-
lawak is considered as a panacea and is es-
pecially recommended in the treatment of
abdominal complaints and liver disorders,
including jaundice and gallstones. Having
considerable anti-inammatory properties,
Curcuma xanthorrhiza is used in traditional
Anti-inammatory activity
In addition to its curcuminoids, three non-
phenolic diarylhepatanoids isolated from
Curcuma xanthorrhiza, and in particular
1E, 3E, 1.7-diphenylheptadien-5, have po-
tent anti-inammatory properties, hence the
plants traditional use in inammation of the
skin and rectum (10,12,14).
Enhancement of lipid metabolilsm
The effectiveness of temulawak in the lower-
ing of blood plasma lipids has been proved in
rabbits. The concentration of cholesterol was
Photo: Franois Grard
decreased by between 46.6 % and 63.2 %, de-
pending on the dosage. In the same way, HDL Slices of Curcuma xanthorriza rhizomes, carefully
(high density lipoproteins), LDL (low density dried before extraction. A sign of the times: Temula-
lipoproteins) and triglycerides decreased con- wak looks just like golden nuggets!

10 | Wellness Foods Europe November 2005 November 2005 Wellness Foods Europe | 11
Wellness Foods Europe CO2 extracts
Anticancer activity
The metastasizing process in tumors is one
of the major causes of death in patients with
cancer. In a very recent piece of work done
by Koreans in Seoul, xanthorrhizol showed
an anti-metastatic potential in experimental
mouse lung metastasis models. In this experi-
ment, at a rate of 0.5 mg/kg of xanthorrhi-
zol, tumor mass formation was decreased by
97 %, an almost complete inhibition. More-
over, after tumor formation was effective in
another group, the tumor nodules decreased
by 60 % (1).
Detoxifying properties
Coming back to cancer, the chemical drug the
most used to ght it is Cisplatin, considered
as the most potent of the anticancer drugs.
Unfortunately, at a high dosage this molecule
shows nephro-toxicity and hepato-toxicity.
Photo: Hans Erken
Cultivation of Curcuma xanthorrhiza in Australia:
the owering period is around November
12 | Wellness Foods Europe November 2005
CO2 extracts Wellness Foods Europe
With a dosage of 100 to 200 mg per kilo, mom and ginger, brings out the full avor of Moreover, its recognized antioxidant prop-
xanthorrhizol considerably limits lipid per- fruit. Temulawak is for instance remarkable erties, combined with its antibacterial activi-
oxidation in the kidney due to Cisplatin and with quince, or apple. ty, reinforce the action of food preservatives.
protects the liver even more from this hepa-
totoxin than curcumin itself (2, 4).
Anti-contractile activity
An interesting piece of work done in Phy-
totherapy Research in 1999 has shown that
xanthorrhizol, isolated here from Mexican
medicinal plants, inhibited uterine contrac-
tion in rats, and proved to be as efcient as
papaverine, antioquine or tetrandrine (9).
Amazingly, this is conrmed by ethno-bot-
any which insists on the use of Temulawak
to lessen uterine pain and inammation after
giving birth in Indonesia.
Curcuma xanthorrhiza CO2 extract and
its main applications
The Curcuma genus is quite complex from a
botanical point of view. Curcuma xanthor-
rhiza is, for instance, quite close to Curcu-
ma zedoaria or even Curcuma heyneana, but
only the rst one contains a sufcient amount
of xanthorrhizol. Flavex guarantees a high
xanthorrhizol content in the extract and a
minimum of total curcumenes. Moreover,
the Flavex CO2 extract is pesticide controlled
and practically free of heavy metals, an im-
portant consideration when we bear in mind
that all Curcuma raw materials come from
Asia. Unlike regular essential oils, CO2 ex-
traction leaves the active ingredients in their
original form, which means they are neither
isomerized nor partially hydrolyzed.
Food avor component
Curcuma xanthorrhiza enhances the avor of
spicy and nutty tastes. It blends beautifully
with garlic and mustard, and can be used to
perfection as an ingredient in mayonnaises,
soups and sauces, particularly given its afn-
ity with tomatoes.
Concerning sweet foods, its honey fra-
grance which is somewhere between carda-
November 2005 Wellness Foods Europe | 13
Wellness Foods Europe CO2 extracts
Food supplement
This food ingredient can claim to have many
properties, but its most accurate use would be
in detox and slimming formulae, given both
its hepato-protective activity and its power
to accelerate the metabolism of lipids along
with their excretion.
Whilst many botanicals are often not rec-
ommended for pregnant women, this is not
the case with Curcuma xanthorrhiza, which
may be prescribed when there is a risk of
premature birth or for various ailments like
dysentery or skin rashes. Later on, after the
birth, it could be also taken as a good galac-
tagogue.
Finally, with the forthcoming European
regulations on health food claims (2007), it
is going to be possible to use a claim con-
cerning a decrease in the risk of diseases. The
same goes for a decrease in the likelihood of
having cancer, with the help of Curcuma xan-
thorrhiza extract and its extraordinary anti-
metastasic activity.
Pharmaceutical additive
Whether it is for lung cancer, cancer of the
ovaries, cancer of the testicles, or even can-
cer of the bladder, cisplatin is a chemical drug
used in almost all these chemotherapy treat-
ments. Its hepato-toxicity and nephrotoxicity
are quite high even though this treatment is
vital. In association with xanthorrhizol, Cis-
platin becomes less toxic for the liver and the
kidneys even if we disregard its specic anti-
cancer properties.
Many other hepato-toxic chemical drugs
like paracetamol could benet from being as-
sociated with Curcuma xanthorrhiza extract,
which would reduce the impact of serious
side effects.
Dental care ingredient
Given the antibacterial activity of xanthor-
rhizol which ghts against oral pathogens,
and the fresh camphor-like taste of Curcuma
xanthorrhiza, the Flavex CO2 extract is per-
14 | Wellness Foods Europe November 2005
fectly suitable for toothpaste, chewing gum,
mouthwashes and breath fresheners.
References
1) M.-A. Choi, Seong Hwan Kim, W.-Y.
Chung, J.-K. Hwang, K.-K. Park: Xanthor-
rhizol, a natural sesquiterpenoid from Curcu-
ma xanthorrhiza, has an anti-metastatic po-
tential in experimental mouse lung metastasis
model; Biochemical and biophysical research
communications 326, 210217 ( 2005)
2) Seong Hwan Kim, Kyoung Ok Hong, Jae
Kwan Hwang, K.-K. Park: Xanthorrhizol has
a potential to attenuate the high dose cispla-
tin-induced nephrotoxicity in mice; Food and
chemical toxicology 43, 117122 (2005)
3) I. Jantan, M. Pisar, N. Hasnah Mohd Sir-
at, N. Basar, S. J. Jamil, J. Rasadah Mat Ali,
J. Jalil: Inhibitory effects of compounds from
Zingiberaceae species on platelet activating
factor receptor binding; Phytotherapy re-
search 18, 10051007 (2004)
4) W.-Y. Seong Hwan Kim, W.-Y. Kyoung Ok
Hong, W.-Y. Chung, K.-K. Jae Kwan Hwang,
K.-K. Park: Abrogation of cisplatin-induced
hepatotoxicity in mice by xanthorrhizol is re-
lated to its effect on the regulation of gene
transcription; Toxicology and applied phar-
macology 196, 346355 (2004)
5) J.-M. Fonteneau: Epice et plante medici-
nale davenir, le Curcuma; La phytotherapie
Europeenne, 16, 2528 (2003)
6) L. Wientarsih, S. Chakeredza, U. Ter Meu-
len: Inuence of Curcuma (Curcuma xanthor-
rhiza Roxb) on lipid metabolism in rabbits;
Journal of the science of food and agriculture
82, 18751880 (2002)
7) J. K. Hwang, J. S. Shim, Y. R. Pyun: Anti-
bacterial activity of xanthorrhizol from Cur-
cuma xanthorrhiza against oral pathogens;
Fitoterapia 71, 321323 (2000)
8) J.-K. Hwang, J.S. Shim, N.-I. Baek, Y.-R.
Pyun: Xanthorrhizol, a potential antibacteri-
al agent from Curcuma xanthorrhiza against
Streptococcus mutans; Planta medica 66,
196197 (2000)
9) H. Ponce-Monter, M. G. Campos, I. Agui-
lar, G. Delgado: Effect of xanthorrhizol, xan-
thorrhizol glycoside and trachylobanoic acid
isolated from cachani complex plants upon
the contractile activity of uterine smooth
muscle; Phytotherapy research 13, 202205
(1999)
10) P. Claeson, U. Pongprayoon, T. Sema-
tong, P. Tuchinda, V. Reutrakul, P. Soontorn-
saratune, W. C. Taylor: Non-phenolic linear
diarylheptanoids from Curcuma xanthorrhi-
za, a novel type of topical anti-inammatory
agents, structure-activity relationship; Planta
Medica 62, 236240 (1996)
11) S.-C. Lin, C.-C. Lin, Y.-H. Lin, S. Supri-
yatna, C.-W. Teng : Protective and therapeu-
tic effects of Curcuma xanthorrhiza on hepa-
totoxin-induced liver damage; The American
Journal of Chinese Medicine 23, 243254
(1995)
12) P. Claeson, U. Pongprayoon, T. Sema-
tong, P. Tuchinda, V. Reutrakul, P. Soontorn-
saratune, W.C. Taylor: Three non-pheno-
lic diarylheptanoids with anti-inammatory
activity from Curcuma xanthorrhiza; Planta
Medica 59, 451454 (1993)
13) S. Yasni, K. Imaizumi, M. Nakamura,
J. Aimoto, M. Sugano: Effects of Curcuma
xanthorrhiza Roxb. and curcuminoids on the
level of serum and liver lipids, serum apoli-
poprotein A-I and lipogenic, enzymes in rats;
Food and Chemical Toxicology 31, 213218
(1993)
14) Y. Ozaki: Antiinammatory effect of
Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb. and its active
principles; Chemical and pharmaceutical bul-
letin 38, 10451048 (1990)
The authors:
Franois Grard, independent ethno-botanist
of Boswellia sarl, France and Dr Karl-Werner
Quirin, managing director of FLAVEX Natur-
extrakte GmbH, Germany.
For more information, please contact:
FLAVEX Naturextrakte GmbH, Nordstr. 7,
66780 Rehlingen, Germany
Phone: +49 6835 9195-0, Fax: +49 6835 9195-95
E-mail: info@avex.com, www.avex.com
CO2 extracts Wellness Foods Europe
Brief information about FLAVEX Naturex-
trakte GmbH
FLAVEX Naturextrakte is successfully pro-
ducing herbal active ingredients since 1986.
These substances are used in many elds, in
the cosmetic and perfumery industries, for the
production of natural remedies and nutraceu-
ticals and for the production of natural food
avors.
But what makes up the success of FLAVEX?
FLAVEX has developed a special procedure
that extracts active ingredients under smooth
and gentle conditions with carbon dioxide as
a solvent. Their extraction specialists are pio-
neers in this eld with a profound know-how
in process technology but also in phytochem-
istry and analytical procedures.
The new and gentle technology for the extrac-
tion of sensitive plant ingredients is based on
SFE Supercritical Fluid Extraction.
In-house designed CO2-extraction plants with
state of the art measurement and control sys-
tems are best suitable for resolving critical
separation problems. Competence, continu-
ous R&D efforts of our expert teams as well
as detailed documentation of all relevant pro-
cess steps from organic contract cultivation
right up to the nished end product are the
base of a stringent product quality.
The traceable QS-System with modern ana-
lytical methods guarantees for the authentic-
ity of FLAVEX CO2 extracts.
FLAVEX is one of the world leaders in super-
critical dioxide extracts.
Already some years ago FLAVEX has initiated
a controlled integrated cultivation of Calen-
dula and Camomile owers on a tolling ba-
sis.
This offers decisive advantages for our cus-
tomers: on one hand the raw materials qual-
ity remains on a standardized high level and
on the other hand we can keep the prices on a
low level by our sophisticated purchase strat-
egy.
November 2005 Wellness Foods Europe | 15