ISO 9299:2024

Traditional Chinese medicine - Curcuma longa rhizome

This document specifies the quality and safety requirements for Curcuma longa rhizome. This document applies to the production and sale of cultivated Curcuma longa rhizome that is sold and used as natural medicine in international trade, including Chinese materia medica (whole medicinal materials) and decoction pieces derived from this rhizome.

Médecine traditionnelle chinoise — Rhizome de Curcuma longa

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 04-Jun-2024
• ICS: 11.120.10 - Medicaments
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 249 - Traditional Chinese medicine
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 249 - Traditional Chinese medicine
• Current Stage: 6060 - International Standard published
• Start Date: 05-Jun-2024
• Due Date: 24-Nov-2024
• Completion Date: 05-Jun-2024

Overview - ISO 9299:2024 (Curcuma longa rhizome)

ISO 9299:2024 specifies quality and safety requirements for cultivated Curcuma longa rhizome (turmeric rhizome) used as a natural medicine in international trade, including Chinese materia medica (whole medicinal materials) and decoction pieces. The standard covers identification, sampling, test methods, limits for chemical and physical markers, and requirements for packaging, storage and labelling to support safe, consistent supply chains for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) products.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope and definitions: Applies to dried, primary-processed Curcuma longa rhizome; primary processing includes removing rootlets, washing, boiling/steaming and drying (≤55 °C).
• Identification:
  • Macroscopic features: shape, surface colour (deep yellow to yellowish brown), odour (fragrant) and taste (bitter, pungent).
  • Microscopic features: cork, vascular bundles, endodermis and stele structure.
  • Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) fingerprinting for extract identification.
• Marker compounds: Determination of curcuminoids such as bisdemethoxycurcumin, curcumin, and demethoxycurcumin.
• Quantitative quality thresholds (examples from the standard):
  • Essential oil: ≥ 4.0% (mass fraction)
  • Ethanol‑soluble extractive: ≥ 6.0%
  • Total ash: ≤ 8.0%
  • Acid-insoluble ash: ≤ 1.0%
  • Moisture / loss on drying: moisture ≤ 12.0% (azeotropic) or loss on drying ≤ 17.0%
• Safety-related tests and limits: heavy metals, pesticide residues, sulfur dioxide, aflatoxins and foreign matter - with referenced ISO methods for testing.
• Sampling, test methods and reporting: Standardized procedures for representative sampling, laboratory testing and test reports.
• Ancillary guidance: Informative annexes include TLC identification, total curcuminoid determination, national/regional requirement references, and examples of traditional grading.

Practical applications - who uses ISO 9299:2024

• Herbal raw material producers and cultivators standardizing harvest and primary processing.
• Quality control and analytical laboratories performing identification and quantitative assays (TLC, curcuminoids, essential oil, ash, moisture, contaminants).
• Manufacturers of TCM products and nutraceuticals ensuring ingredient compliance for international trade.
• Regulators, import/export inspectors and purchasers verifying safety and labelling.
• Standards developers and pharmacopeia committees aligning national requirements with an international benchmark.

Related standards (selected)

• ISO 18664 - Determination of heavy metals in herbal medicines
• ISO/TS 21310 - Microscopic examination of medicinal herbs
• ISO 21371 - Labelling requirements for TCM products
• ISO 22217 / 22258 / 22283 / 22590 - Storage, pesticide, aflatoxin and sulfur dioxide test methods
• ISO 23723 - General requirements for herbal raw material and materia medica

ISO 9299:2024 provides a practical, science-based framework to harmonize quality and safety for Curcuma longa rhizome in global commerce, supporting traceability, analytical consistency and regulatory compliance.

Standards Content (Sample)

International
Standard
ISO 9299
First edition
Traditional Chinese medicine —
2024-06
Curcuma longa rhizome
Médecine traditionnelle chinoise — Rhizome de Curcuma longa
Reference number
© ISO 2024
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
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or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
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Published in Switzerland
ii
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Descriptions . 2
5 Quality and safety requirements and recommendations . 4
5.1 General characteristics .4
5.2 Macroscopic features .4
5.3 Microscopic feature .4
5.4 Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) features .4
5.5 Marker compounds .4
5.6 Essential oil.4
5.7 Ethanol-soluble extractive .4
5.8 Total ash .5
5.9 Acid-insoluble ash .5
5.10 Moisture or loss on drying .5
5.11 Foreign matter .5
5.12 Heavy metals .5
5.13 Pesticide residues .5
5.14 Sulfur dioxide . .5
5.15 Aflatoxins .5
6 Sampling . 5
7 Test methods . 5
7.1 Identification of macroscopic features .5
7.2 Identification of microscopic features .5
7.3 Identification of thin-layer chromatogram .5
7.4 Determination of marker compounds .6
7.5 Determination of essential oil . .6
7.6 Determination of ethanol-soluble extractive .6
7.7 Determination of total ash .6
7.8 Determination of acid-insoluble ash .6
7.9 Determination of moisture .6
7.10 Determination of foreign matter .6
7.11 Determination of heavy metals .6
7.12 Determination of pesticide residues .6
7.13 Determination of sulfur dioxide .6
7.14 Determination of aflatoxin .6
8 Test report . 6
9 Packaging, storage and transportation . 7
10 Marking and labelling . 7
Annex A (informative) Identification of thin-layer chromatogram . 8
Annex B (informative) Determination of total content of curcuminoids .10
Annex C (informative) Reference of national and regional requirements .12
Annex D (informative) Examples for traditional grading information for Curcuma longa rhizome . 14
Bibliography .15

iii
Foreword
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This document was prepared by Technical Committee 249, Traditional Chinese medicine.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.

iv
Introduction
The medicinal history of Curcuma longa rhizome dates back 4 000 years. Curcuma longa rhizome has been
used as a traditional herbal medicine in China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand, and
other countries. It has been used for the treatment of digestive, respiratory and circulatory diseases, as well
as skin diseases.
The establishment of an international standard for Curcuma longa rhizome is necessary to guarantee the
clinical effectiveness, safety and controllability in global commerce and trade.
As national implementation may differ, national standards bodies are invited to modify the values given in
5.6, 5.7, 5.8, 5.9, 5.10 and 5.11 in their national standards. Examples of national and regional values are given
in Annex C. In addition, examples for traditional grading of Curcuma longa rhizome are given in Annex D.

v
International Standard ISO 9299:2024(en)
Traditional Chinese medicine — Curcuma longa rhizome
1 Scope
This document specifies the quality and safety requirements for Curcuma longa rhizome.
This document applies to the production and sale of cultivated Curcuma longa rhizome that is sold and used
as natural medicine in international trade, including Chinese materia medica (whole medicinal materials)
and decoction pieces derived from this rhizome.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes
requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references,
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 18664, Traditional Chinese Medicine — Determination of heavy metals in herbal medicines used in
Traditional Chinese Medicine
ISO/TS 21310, Traditional Chinese medicine — Microscopic examination of medicinal herbs
ISO 21371, Traditional Chinese medicine — Labelling requirements of products intended for oral or topical use
ISO 22217, Traditional Chinese medicine —Storage requirements for raw materials and decoction pieces
ISO 22258, Traditional Chinese medicine — Determination of pesticide residues in natural products by gas
chromatography
ISO 22283, Traditional Chinese medicine — Determination of aflatoxins in natural products by LC-FLD
ISO 22590, Traditional Chinese medicine — Determination of sulfur dioxide in natural products by titration
ISO 23723, Traditional Chinese medicine — General requirements for herbal raw material and materia medica
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1
Curcuma longa rhizome
dried rhizome of Curcuma longa L. (Fam, Zingiberaceae) after primary processing (3.2)
Note 1 to entry: Curcuma longa rhizome is harvested when the aerial parts of the plant are withered, e.g. from
December to the next February in China.

3.2
primary processing
stage of the pre-treatment of natural materials during the collecting and harvesting process by which the
raw materials are transformed into medicinal materials
Note 1 to entry: The primary processing of Curcuma longa rhizome includes removing the fibrous roots, washing,
boiling or steaming to the core, and drying in the sun or dry at the temperature below 55 °C.
[SOURCE: ISO 21300:2019, 3.4, modified — Note 1 to entry has been added.]
4 Descriptions
Figure 1 illustrates the structure of Curcuma longa L.

b) Main rhizome of Curcuma longa L.
a) Plant of Curcuma longa L. c) Lateral rhizome of Curcuma longa L.
d) Rhizome of Curcuma longa L. (dried
and unsliced)
e) Rhizome of Curcuma longa L. (decoc-
f) Sketch of transverse section of Curcuma longa L.
tion pieces)
Key
1 Curcuma longa leaf
2 Curcuma longa inflorescence
3 curcuma main rhizome
4 curcuma lateral rhizome
5 cork
6 cortex
7 leave-trace vascular bundle
8 endodermis
9 vascular bundle
Figure 1 — Structure of Curcuma longa L.
5 Quality and safety requirements and recommendations
5.1 General characteristics
The following requirements shall be met before sampling:
a) The sample shall be clean and free from rootlets;
b) The presence of living insects, mouldy root and rhizome, and external contaminants which are visible to
the naked eye shall
...