Chapter 14 - Curry Leaf

Abstract

Curry leaf (Murraya koenigii) is a perennial herb belonging to family Rutaceae. It has been cultivated throughout the world and used for thousands of years for food flavoring, essential oil applications, and in traditional medicine. The main constituents of this plant include caryophyllene, terpene, menthol, menthone, carvomenthone, citral, and linalyl acetate, which contribute to the flavor. The extent of each of these chemical constituents varies depending on the type of species or cultivars as well as cultivation conditions such as soil type, weather, irrigation, pruning, and other horticultural practices. Curry is an essential component of several industrial applications ranging from food, cosmetics, to pharmaceutical products. Different biologic activities such as antifungal, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, anthelmintic, anticancer, antihypertensive, antilipid-peroxidative, and wound healing caused by the extracts of this plant are reported. More uses and applications of curry by-products are continuously added. Further research, particularly in the developing world, is needed where flower harvesting and postharvesting processing methods being used for this plant are more traditional.