Open Journal Systems
Determining Common Dosage Forms of Curcumin (Turmeric) Available at Pharmacies In Blantyre, Malawi.
Abstract
Background: Curcumin is a phyto-polyphenol pigment extracted from an herbaceous plant called Curcuma longa, also known as turmeric. Curcumin constituents are responsible for the yellow color of turmeric and has been widely used as a yellow coloring agent in food coloring purposes and additives and also as an herbal product to treat different ailments.
Objective: As an herbal product, various dosage forms of curcumin are available in the market depending on users or manufacturers preference. The aim of this study was to determine the common dosage forms of curcumin available at pharmacies in Blantyre city, Malawi.
Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study which was done in all pharmacies that are within Blantyre city from 6th March 2022 to 2nd April 2022. Convenience sampling was used to enroll participants into the study and a questionnaire was answered by a pharmacist or an assistant pharmacist that was available at the time of the study. Data was entered into a Microsoft excel spreadsheet and analyzed using frequency tables and graphs.
Results: Forty pharmacies were recruited into the study, thirty participated in the study. It was uncovered that ten of the pharmacies sell curcumin, eight of the pharmacies sell curcumin containing products and 12 of them do not sell either. Curcumin products were derived from rhizomes (63.6%), leaves (13.6%), flowers (13.6%), and stems (9.1%), however, the dosage forms available in these pharmacies were powder (43.3%), capsules (40%), solutions (6.7%), creams (3.3%), tablets (3.3%) and oils (3.3%). It was observed that a significant number of pharmacies rarely sell the product, and about 67% of the pharmacies don’t recommend curcumin and its curcumin related products.
Conclusion
The current findings indicate that the common dosage forms of curcumin available in pharmacies in Blantyre City, Malawi are powders and capsules with percentages of 43.3% and 40% respectively. However, curcumin and curcumin containing products are rarely sold and most pharmacists from the city do not recommend this herbal product.
Keywords
References
National Cancer Institute. Definition of nabiximols - NCI Drug Dictionary - National Cancer Institute [Internet]. NCI Drug Dictionary. [cited 2021 May 24]. Available from: https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-drug/def/curcumin
Mandal A. 0.2 What-is-Curcumin [Internet]. [cited 2021 May 23]. Available from: https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-Curcumin.aspx
Blantyre Maps [Internet]. [cited 2021 Jun 11]. Available from: http://mci.ei.columbia.edu/millennium-cities/blantyre-malawi/blantyre-maps-and-population
Republic of Malawi Urbanization Review Leveraging Urbanization for National Growth and Development. 2016;
No Title [Internet]. [cited 2021 Jun 12]. Available from: https://www.latlong.net/place/blantyre-malawi-10533.html
Asmelashe D, Mekonnen GB, Atnafe SA, Belay A. Herbal Medicines : Personal Use knowledge, attitude, Dispensing ,Practice Herbal Medicines , and the Barriers among Community Pharmacists in Gondar , Northwest Ethiopia. Evidence-based Complement Altern Med [Internet]. 2017;(August). Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319234961%0AHerbal
Oshikoya KA, Oreagba IA, Ogunleye OO, Oluwa R, Senbanjo IO, Olayemi SO. Herbal medicines supplied by community pharmacies in Lagos , Nigeria : pharmacists ’ knowledge. 2013;11(4):219–27.
PMRA. Retail Pharmacy Registers. Lilongwe; 2020.
Qasem MAA, Alhajj MS, Jer El Nabi AR, Al-Mufarrej SI. Effects of dietary supplement of turmeric powder (Curcuma longa) on blood biochemistry parameters and antioxidant activity in chickens. South African J Anim Sci. 2016;46(2):204–13.
Chioma H. Nigerian Agricultural Journal Effect Of Traditional Processing Methods On The Nutritional And Antinutritional Composition Of Turmeric (Curcuma Longa). Vol. 51, Nigerian Agricultural Journal. 2020.
Stohs SJ, Chen O, Ray SD, Ji J, Bucci LR, Preuss HG. Highly bioavailable forms of curcumin and promising avenues for curcumin-based research and application: A review. Vol. 25, Molecules. MDPI AG; 2020.
Sharifi-Rad J, Rayess Y El, Rizk AA, Sadaka C, Zgheib R, Zam W, et al. Turmeric and Its Major Compound Curcumin on Health: Bioactive Effects and Safety Profiles for Food, Pharmaceutical, Biotechnological and Medicinal Applications. Vol. 11, Frontiers in Pharmacology. Frontiers Media S.A.; 2020.
Davis C of Z. Times of Zambia Amazing healing power of turmeric. May; Available from: https://www.times.co.zm/?p=9761
Jagganath G. Turmeric , The Golden Spice : From Asia to Africa. Open Access J Archaeol Anthropol Rev. 2020;1–6.
Hewlings S, Kalman D. Curcumin: A Review of Its Effects on Human Health. Foods. 2017 Oct 22;6(10):92.
Prasad Yadav R, Tarun G, Roshan Prasad Yadav C. Versatility of turmeric: A review the golden spice of life. ~ 41 ~ J Pharmacogn Phytochem. 2017;6(1):41–6.
Dixit S, Purshottam SK, Khanna SK, Das M. Surveillance of the quality of turmeric powders from city markets of India on the basis of curcumin content and the presence of extraneous colours. Food Addit Contam - Part A Chem Anal Control Expo Risk Assess [Internet]. 2009;26(9):1227–31. Available from: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00573921
Basheti IA, Elayeh ER, Al DB, Db N, Saqf S. Opinions of pharmacists and herbalists on herbal medicine use and receiving herbal medicine education in Jordan. 2017;16(March):689–96.
Email this article 
