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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology

Bioactivity of Heat-Processed Korean Curcuma longa is Preserved Despite Extensive Curcuminoid Degradation

  • Choong-In Yun1,2
  • Ye Seol Shin3
  • Min Jeong Kim3
  • Sung Keun Jung3,4
  • Young-Jun Kim5,2
5 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
  2. 2Research Institute of Food and Biotechnology, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul 01811, Republic of Korea
  3. 3School of Food Science and Biotechnology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
  4. 4Research Institute of Tailored Food Technology, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
  5. 5Department of Food Science and Biotechnology, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul 01811, Republic of Korea
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Abstract

Ulgeum is a Korean-cultivated variety of Curcuma longa L. that is commonly consumed after heat processing, such as drying or decoction. Although the bioactivity of unheated or mildly heated C. longa extracts (CLEs) has been widely investigated, the functional consequences of high-temperature processing remain poorly understood. Heat treatment at 180°C markedly reduced curcuminoid levels, while sesquiterpenoids, such as ar-turmerone, exhibited comparatively greater thermal resistance, and these changes were accompanied by the formation of low-molecular-weight phenolic degradation products. Despite these compositional shifts, heat-treated CLEs retained substantial biological activity. In LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages, CLEs suppressed nitric oxide production through the selective attenuation of NF-κB signaling, without significantly affecting MAPK pathways. In parallel, antioxidant activity was preserved across heat-treatment durations up to 90 min, as evidenced by a sustained suppression of intracellular reactive oxygen species production and activation of Nrf2-dependent antioxidant responses. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that the bioactivity of ulgeum is resilient to high-temperature processing and is maintained through a coordinated modulation of inflammatory and redox signaling pathways rather than through the preservation of curcuminoids alone.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{yun2026bioactivity,
  title = {{Bioactivity of Heat-Processed Korean Curcuma longa is Preserved Despite Extensive Curcuminoid Degradation}},
  author = {Choong-In Yun and Ye Seol Shin and Min Jeong Kim and Sung Keun Jung and Young-Jun Kim},
  journal = {Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.4014/jmb.2606.06010},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.4014/jmb.2606.06010},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Bioactivity of Heat-Processed Korean Curcuma longa is Preserved Despite Extensive Curcuminoid Degradation
AU  - Choong-In Yun
AU  - Ye Seol Shin
AU  - Min Jeong Kim
AU  - Sung Keun Jung
AU  - Young-Jun Kim
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/18
JO  - Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
DO  - 10.4014/jmb.2606.06010
UR  - https://doi.org/10.4014/jmb.2606.06010
AB  - Ulgeum is a Korean-cultivated variety of Curcuma longa L. that is commonly consumed after heat processing, such as drying or decoction. Although the bioactivity of unheated or mildly heated C. longa extracts (CLEs) has been widely investigated, the functional consequences of high-temperature processing remain poorly understood. Heat treatment at 180°C markedly reduced curcuminoid levels, while sesquiterpenoids, such as ar-turmerone, exhibited comparatively greater thermal resistance, and these changes were accompanied by the formation of low-molecular-weight phenolic degradation products. Despite these compositional shifts, heat-treated CLEs retained substantial biological activity. In LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages, CLEs suppressed nitric oxide production through the selective attenuation of NF-κB signaling, without significantly affecting MAPK pathways. In parallel, antioxidant activity was preserved across heat-treatment durations up to 90 min, as evidenced by a sustained suppression of intracellular reactive oxygen species production and activation of Nrf2-dependent antioxidant responses. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that the bioactivity of ulgeum is resilient to high-temperature processing and is maintained through a coordinated modulation of inflammatory and redox signaling pathways rather than through the preservation of curcuminoids alone.
SN  - 1017-7825
SN  - 1738-8872
ER  -