Organic Chemistry

By: Kornramin Masaya-anon Khamin 1101

Organic chemistry, the study of organic compound that

contains carbon as an essential element along with other elements
that are necessary for living organisms. Basically, organic
compound can be found anywhere both naturally and synthetically.
Herbs are also considered as plants that consist of organic
compound that people have discovered in nature. Turmeric and
garlic, the herbs that contain unique organic compound called
curcumin allicin and alliin, with their characteristic of chemical and
physical properties that can be utilized in many ways.
Curcumin, together with Demethoxycurcumin, and
Bisdemethoxycurcumin, is a component of Curcuminoid that is
found in Turmeric. The majority part of curcuminoid is
“Curcumin” which take about 77% of the compound. Curcumin is
a polyphenolic product which is odorless and has yellowish color.
The IUPAC name of curcumin is (1E,6E)-1,7-bis(4-hydroxy-3-
methoxyphenyl)-1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione, and C21H20O6, is
chemical formula consisting of two ferulic acid residues joined by
methylene bridge. It has an aromatic o-methoxy phenolic group,
α, β-unsaturated β-diketo moiety and a seven-carbon linker as
the important functionalities. The molecular weight of curcumin
is 368.38 g/mol. The melting and boiling point are 183°C and
418.73°C, respectively. Curcumin is water-insoluble but soluble
in hexane, ethyl acetate, acetone methanol, and especially in
ethanol. Additionally, curcumin has low level of bioavailability
that is why it needs to be developed in order to use in the
medical field.
As mentioned earlier, o-methoxyphenol group and
methylenic hydrogen in curcumin can act as the antioxidant.
Curcumin has been used in clinical for various disorders and
diseases because of its therapeutic potential. It is used in cancer
prevention and therapy, neurological disease therapy,
inflammatory diseases or skin wounds treatments, etc. Not only
can the curcumin be used in the clinical ways but also in the
basic needs for human beings which is “Food.”
 Alliin (S-allyl-L-cysteine sulfoxide) is the main component that
can be found in the fresh garlic. The combination of cysteine and allyl
bromide in an alkaline (NaOH) mixture of water and ethanol will give
s-allyl cysteine. When S-allyl cysteine is oxidized with hydrogen
peroxide, alliin is produced. Its chemical formula is C6H11NO3S and it
has (2R)-2-amino-3-[(S)-prop-2-enylsulfinyl]propanoic acid for IUPAC
name. When the garlic is chopped or crushed, the amino acid alliin or
alkyl amino will react with the active enzyme called alliinase and will
be changed into a sulfonic acid call allicin. Allicin (Diallyl thiosulfinate)
is the most active compound when the garlic is crushed which gives
the intense ordor and taste to protect itself from any insects. It is
colorless and its chemical formula is C6H10OS2 and the IUPAC name is
3-prop-2-enylsulfinylsulfanylprop-1-ene. It is an organosulfur
compound which means that it contains only carbon, hydrogen, and
sulfur. Its molecular weight is 162.3 g/mol, melting and boiling point
are 25°C and 259°C, respectively. Allicin is found to be stable in
methanol or the solvent that can bond with hydrogen.
With the ability of allicin that act as nature insecticide, it can be
utilized in the organic farming to reduce the pathogen such as
insects, fungi, and bacteria. Allicin is used in medical applications.
Since allicin can act as antioxidant, it is used in the treatment for
cardiovascular disorders because it can lower blood pressure by the
complex reaction that release hydrogen sulfide. Allicin can be applied
to many more diseases and disorders for example, in immune
disorders because it has a potent antibiotic, or in cancer treatments.

In conclusion, curcumin, alliin and allicin are the organic

compound that can be found in nature like in herbs or plants. What
they have in common is their compound contain both carbon and
hydrogen atoms, but the difference is depended on the functions,
physical and chemical properties of each compound.
 References
CURCUMIN:
National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Database. Curcumin,
CID=969516, https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Curcumin (accessed on
May 20, 2020)

Curcuminoid C3 Complex. (n.d.). Retrieved from Curcuminoids.com:

https://www.curcuminoids.com/chemistry

Stankovic, I. (n.d.). CURCUMIN Chemical and Technical Assessment (CTA) . Retrieved

from http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/agns/pdf/jecfa/cta/61/Curcumin.pdf

Al-Shdefat, R. (2014, November). Solubility and stability enhancement of curcumin

through cyclodextrin complexation. Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/278381597_Solubility_and_stability_enh
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Indira Priyadarsini, K. (2013). Retrieved from ingentaconnect:

https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ben/cpd/2013/00000019/00000011/art0
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ALLIIN AND ALLICIN:

Mardomi, R. (2017, January). Determining the Chemical Compositions of Garlic Plant
and its. Retrieved from iosrjournals: http://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-
jac/papers/vol10-issue1/Version-1/H1001016366.pdf

Motteshard, T. D. (n.d.). THE BENEFITS OF THE USE OF GARLIC IN HERBAL

PREPARATIONS. Retrieved from Herbal Legacy:
https://www.herballegacy.com/Motteshard_Chemical.html

Rahman, M. S. (2007, April 26). Retrieved from

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10942910601113327

Leo M.L. Nollet, F. T. (2012, January 18). Handbook of Analysis of Active Compounds
in Functional Foods. Retrieved from
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Academic papers citation

Effect of curcumin on proliferation, cell cycle, and caspases and MCF-7 cells. (2012, March 1). Retrieved from
https://academicjournals.org/app/webroot/article/article1380881437_Li%20et%20al.pd
Cytotoxicity and antimicrobial activity of allicin and its transformation products. (2011, August 22). Retrieved
from https://academicjournals.org/article/article1380534032_Ilic%20et%20al%20%2010.pdf
Zhou, J. (2009, February 26). Immobilization of alliinase and its application: Flow injection enzymatic analysis
for alliin. Retrieved from https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ajb/article/view/60116