DEGRADATION STUDIES OF CURCUMIN

Curcumin, a yellow phytochemical constituent obtained from Curcuma longa shows profound biological activities. Literature reveals that curcumin is insoluble in water and susceptible to higher pH conditions. This work is focused firstly to study the susceptibility of curcumin in water, various pH conditions in presence and absence of light by a simple UV absorption method. A series of buffer solutions of pH conditions such as 1, 1.2, 6.8, 7, and 7.4 were selected and the result showed that decomposition was pH dependent and occurs faster at neutral-basic conditions. The stability was more in acidic pH and decrease as the pH increases. It was more stable at pH of 1.2; less than 1% of curcumin decomposed within 6hrs of the total curcumin in the absence of light while it was more than 40% in the presence of light. Solution at pH of 1, 1.2, 6.8, 7.4 were studied for Thin layer chromatography (TLC) and compared with the standard curcumin. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) study was also conducted.