Curcuminoids such as curcumin, demethoxycurcumin (DMC), and bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC) are the major bioactive components found in Curcuma species, including turmeric (Curcuma longa L.). Curcumin is a polyphenol that is used as an antioxidant. Various analytical methods have been developed for the detection of curcumin, each with its advantages and limitations. Selection of an appropriate analytical method is crucial for obtaining accurate results. Although critical reviews on the chemical, biological, and pharmacological properties of curcumin are widely available, reviews specifically focusing on the different analytical methods for curcumin are limited. This review article aims to provide an overview of several analytical methods for the determination of curcumin. This is expected to encourage readers to choose a suitable analytical method for their specific needs. The articles used in this review were sourced from international English-language publications obtained from Science Direct, PubMed, and Google Scholar. The search was performed using keywords such as "Instrumental analysis of curcumin" and "Analytical techniques for curcumin analysis." The results reveal that spectrophotometric methods are simple techniques used to estimate curcumin content; however, their utility is limited to cases where the concentration of each curcuminoid is not a critical quality parameter. Accurate quantification and detection of trace amounts of curcuminoids and metabolites require the use of chromatographic separation methods combined with mass spectrometry detection (LC-MS/MS) because of their high accuracy, reproducibility, and sensitivity with low limits of detection (LOD) and lower limits of quantification (LLOQ).
Keywords: Analytical methods, Curcumin, Determination