Turmeric leaves are the waste product for the farmer after removing the rhizome from turmeric. In the present work the oil of the leaves of Curcuma longa L. (Family - Zingiberaceae) was extracted by hydrodistillation. The extracted oil was studied for preliminary physicochemical and phytochemical tests. The phytochemical evaluation of turmeric leaf oil indicated the presence of terpenes. The oil extracted from the leaf turmeric was used to run two-stroke and four-stroke engine. The engine eliminates fewer environmentally harmful products with turmeric oil compared to gasoline. It has been concluded that turmeric leaf oil can be used as an alternative biofuel for gasoline.
Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a perennial rhizomatous herb belonging to the family Zingiberaceae1. Turmeric is known worldwide for its multipurpose use in medicine, cosmetics, food flavorings and the textile industries. Several pharmacological activities of turmeric such as anti-inflammatory, hepato-protective, antimicrobial, wound healing, anticancer, antitumor and antiviral properties have been published in the literature2, 3. The essential oil of rhizome of turmeric has been studied in detail by Several workers and the main constituents were ar-turmerone, turmerol and atlantona4, 5. The leaves of curcuma species are waste products during post-harvest operations6. The present investigation refers to the extraction of oil from the leaves of Curcuma longa L. collected from the Bhandara District, its preliminary phytochemical evaluation and application as biofuel.