Javanese turmeric
Temoe lawak; Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb. (C. xanthorrhiza D. Dietrich); in pharmacy Curcumae xanthorrhizae rhizoma
- Known today as
- The dried rhizome, cut in slices, of Curcuma xanthorrhiza, a relative of turmeric in the family Zingiberaceae. The European Medicines Agency’s assessment report finds two characteristic classes of constituent: 1 to 2 per cent of curcuminoids, curcumin among them, and 3 to 12 per cent of volatile oil, made mainly of sesquiterpenes and of xanthorrhizol, at about 44.5 per cent of the oil. The presence of xanthorrhizol distinguishes it from common turmeric, Curcuma longa.
- Kind
- Plant
- Constituents
- curcumin, xanthorrhizol
- In other databases
- Plants of the World Online search · GBIF · Wikidata
Caution. Because it may stimulate the secretion of bile, the European agency does not recommend it in obstruction of the bile duct, cholangitis, liver disease, gallstones, or any other disease of the bile passages, nor under eighteen, nor in pregnancy or breast-feeding, since curcumin or its metabolites may pass into milk. Mild stomach symptoms such as dry mouth, flatulence, and gastric irritation may occur; the German authority also reported fullness, heartburn, vomiting, diarrhoea, and skin reactions. Animal tests suggest an influence on the cytochrome P450 system, so other medicines metabolised by it call for careful supervision.
Javanese turmeric: what was it used for?
A digestive. The assessment report finds it used in Europe at least since 1963, “mainly against dyspepsia, skin and liver diseases and infections,” on the Dutch market in a combination product since then and in three German preparations since at least 1976.
Javanese turmeric: what does modern science say?
The European Medicines Agency’s herbal committee accepts the rhizome as a traditional herbal medicine, “exclusively based upon long-standing use,” for the symptomatic treatment of digestive disturbances such as fullness, slow digestion, and flatulence (monograph of 2014). The committee judged its use plausible in “digestive complaints related to insufficient bile secretion,” but did not word the indication that way, because a lack of bile secretion cannot be diagnosed without a doctor. It found no clinical studies.
Pharmacognosy & Toxicology
- Constituents
- curcumin ChEMBLamong the curcuminoids, 1 to 2 per cent
- xanthorrhizolabout 44.5 per cent of the volatile oil; distinguishes it from common turmeric
- Mechanism
- It may stimulate the secretion of bile, the European agency notes; animal tests suggest an influence on the cytochrome P450 system.
- Standing
- European Union herbal monograph (2014): traditional use, “exclusively based upon long-standing use,” for digestive disturbances such as fullness, slow digestion, and flatulence.
- European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products. European Union herbal monograph on Curcumae xanthorrhizae rhizoma (Javanese turmeric). EMA/HMPC/604600/2012, 28 January 2014. Read in full · the text read
- European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products. Assessment report on Curcumae xanthorrhizae rhizoma. EMA/HMPC/604598/2012, 28 January 2014. Read in part · the text read
Constituent names open the compound’s record at PubChem, and “ChEMBL” beside a name opens its record at ChEMBL, the European Bioinformatics Institute’s database of bioactive molecules. Where a mechanism line was checked against ChEMBL (ChEMBL 37, read 1 October 2026), the check is shown with the measured value and its source paper, or says plainly that nothing has been measured. Doses are as the references give them, for description only; this is not medical advice. Each source carries the result of its check against Crossref, PubMed, or the authority’s page: see Verification.
Sources
- European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products. European Union herbal monograph on Curcumae xanthorrhizae rhizoma (Javanese turmeric). EMA/HMPC/604600/2012, 28 January 2014. Read in full · the text read
- European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products. Assessment report on Curcumae xanthorrhizae rhizoma. EMA/HMPC/604598/2012, 28 January 2014. Read in part · the text read
Verification
- Checked
- October 1, 2026
- Passes
- Every sentence read against its sources, in the pass over the remaining 343 entries
- The Standing line checked against the authority it names (EMA, WHO, FDA, CITES, Commission E)
- Every dated or regulatory claim checked by category across the database
- Sources
- 2 cited: 1 read in full, 1 read in part.
- Corrections
- None were needed.
What was checked, how, and what was found is set out on the Verification page. A checked source is one whose record was found; it does not make the entry medical advice.
Club members can point at a technical term in this entry, such as a constituent, an action, or a word of Jung’s, to read its definition from the source. The Club.
Cite This Entry
Version 1 · first published October 16, 2026
- Chicago
“Javanese turmeric.” In Materia Medica, edited by B. C. P. Statema. Version 1. The Thinking Press, 2026–. Last modified October 16, 2026. https://thethinkingpress.org/materia-medica/javanese-turmeric.
- MLA
“Javanese turmeric.” Materia Medica, edited by B. C. P. Statema, version 1, The Thinking Press, 16 Oct. 2026, thethinkingpress.org/materia-medica/javanese-turmeric. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.
- APA
Javanese turmeric. (2026, October 16). In B. C. P. Statema (Ed.), Materia medica (Version 1). The Thinking Press. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://thethinkingpress.org/materia-medica/javanese-turmeric
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See Also
Sharing curcumin
Nearby in the alphabet
Jelly ear (rubbery, ear-shaped fungus, chiefly on elder) · Java tea · Jet, oil of (Jet is a brown coal formed from fossilized wood) · James’s powder (secret in its making) · Jewelweed · Jalap · Juneberry · Jack-o’-lantern
Historical description, not medical advice.
