園藝作物天然色素之研究3.鬱金色素之性質及其利用

Studies on the Natural Coloring Matters of Horticultural Crops 3. Some Properties of Yellow Natural Color in Curcuma Rhizome and Its Application

本試驗以鬱金（Curcuma longa L.）的根莖為材料，就所含天然黃色素之葨黃（tumeric yellow）加以抽出，探討其有關食品加工應用之若干基本性質和利用時應注意問題。

A natural yellow pigment curcumin isolated from tumerics of a tropical rhizome plant, Curcuma longa, L. was investigated, in order to study some of its properties when used as an additive during food processing. Curcumin in alcoholic solution degraded very differently under various storage conditions Light, temperanture, metallic ions, food additives and pH affected its stability in different ways. This pigment was found to be most stable when its alcoholic solution of pH 5-6 was stored at low temperature (5℃) in darkness. Its solubility in diverse solvents as well as its visible spectra in solutions of different pH were also discussed.