Crystalization

After crystals were extracted from turmeric solution, it was noted that the crystals were not pure orange in color.  There were several very small flecks of yellow and red.  The lab supplied separated curcuminoids were all slightly different in color, one being yellow, another being orange, and the last being red.  From this information, it was hypothesized that if these crystals were separated by color, they could be used as seed crystals in a super saturated curcumin solution to produce larger single color crystals.  These single colors could possibly be the individual curcuminoids.  If true, this would mean there would be a much easier and cheaper way to separate curcuminoids.

Curcumin Crystals Before Separation

Separating the small crystals by hand had to be accomplished using a dissection microscope, a metal spatula, and tweezers.  Because the extremely low percentage of demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin in turmeric, the amount of yellow and red crystals in the yield was very small.

Yellow, Orange, and Red Crystals: Seperated

7/18/18
-Alex Griffith