Exploring the changes of volatile compounds in crude and processed turmeric using GC-MS based volatilomics.

Background: It is a common practice to process crude turmeric (CT) using different approaches, however, limited research is available on the comparison of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) before and after the processing.

Objective: This study investigated the impact of five different processing methods on the VOCs of CT before and after processing.

Method: The five types of processed turmeric included vinegar-treated turmeric (VT), mussel powder-treated turmeric (MT), water extract of rice-processed turmeric (RT), stir-fried turmeric (ST), and wine-processed turmeric (WT). The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technique was utilized to identify the volatile profiles. Volatilomics based on multivariate statistics was used to assess the key metabolic differences between five processed turmeric and CT within the VOCs.

Results: A total of 79 VOCs were detected between processed turmeric and CT, with terpenoids accounting for most of them. In the ST and WT groups, compared to the CT group, the number of changes in VOCs was relatively small, whereas in the VT, RT, and MT groups, there were a greater number of changes, with most metabolites exhibiting a downward trend. Through the volatilomics analysis, 13 potential differential compounds were screened out, among which there were three common differential compounds.

Conclusions: This study reveals the primary causes for the variations in VOCs in processed and CT, establishing the groundwork for evaluating the overall quality of processed turmeric and its use in therapeutic settings.

Highlights: The study systematically compared the effects of five different turmeric processing methods on VOCs using GC-MS-based volatilomics, providing a data reference for research on the changes in its pharmacological activity.