Qualidade em foco: avaliação de cápsulas industrializadas e manipuladas de Curcuma Longa L.

Abstract

Curcuma longa L. is widely manufactured and marketed in Brazil, especially in the South and Southeast regions, and is available in various forms, predominantly in capsules. These products are available as compound formulas, herbal remedies, or dietary supplements, and are subject to different health regulations. This study aimed to evaluate the quality and compliance of commercially manufactured and compounded capsules made from C. longa, considering pharmacopoeial parameters and current legislation. Labels were evaluated for compliance with current legislation, as well as the average capsule weight, the color of the internal contents (colorimetry), and the curcumin content (high-performance liquid chromatography). The absence of the species' botanical nomenclature was observed in 73.33% of the samples. In the average weight assessment, 60% (n=9) of the samples failed. Colorimetric analysis revealed wide variation in orange colors, with lighter-colored samples showing no detectable curcumin by RP-HPLC. When quantifying curcumin, only 26.7% (n=4) of the samples showed levels consistent with the declared values, while another 26.7% (n=4) showed no curcumin. Among all the analyses performed, only 2 of the 15 samples fully met the quality criteria. These results highlight significant flaws in labeling, active ingredient content, and dose uniformity, which may compromise efficacy and safety. This reinforces the need for more rigorous oversight, especially for dietary supplements, which have less restrictive regulatory requirements than those applied to herbal medicines.