It is a plant native to India and Southeast Asia, later introduced to America and Europe. The parts used are the rhizomes, and among its active ingredients we can mention essential oils (1.5–5%), curcuminoids (curcumin, curcumins I, II, and III, cyclocurcumin, etc.), terpenic hydrocarbons (zingiberene), and sesquiterpene ketones (turmerones), among others.

It has hepatic activity (choleretic, bile-stimulating, liver-protective), digestive (stimulates the production of secretin and gastrin, reduces gastric juice volume, acid excretion, and pepsin), anti-inflammatory (multicentric mechanism of action, inhibits prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and thromboxane B4, and stabilizes lysosomal membranes), antimicrobial (highly toxic to Salmonella sp., and moderately active against Staphylococcus sp. and Escherichia coli), hypolipidemic (reduces cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood phospholipids), hypoglycemic, anti-platelet (antithrombotic action and inhibitor of thromboxane synthesis), anti-HIV, and in experimental oncology, anticancer (inhibits carcinogenic substances and the proliferation of cancer cells in experimental phases). Other studies have shown that turmeric extracts exhibit immunostimulant and antioxidant activity.

By external use, it has healing, anti-inflammatory, and demulcent effects.

Among the ethnomedicinal uses, Turmeric is used as a hepatoprotector, diuretic, antiparasitic, aphrodisiac, antiflatulent, stimulant of bile secretion, in fever treatments, against catarrh, and as an anti-inflammatory. Externally, it is used as a healing agent, for cleaning wounds, and against conjunctivitis, rheumatism, sprains, and twists.