Herbal medicaments for the treatment of neurocerebrovascular disorders

1. A method for obtaining a lipid soluble extract from rhizomes and leaves of Curcuma species of the Zingiberaceae family and fractions of the lipid soluble extract, said method comprising the steps of:

a) powdering the rhizomes and leaves of the Curcuma species to obtain a powder;

b) extracting the powder with a polar organic solvent selected from the group consisting of alcohol and acetone under continuous stirring or sonication for about 24 hours at room temperature;

c) repeating step b) two to five times.

d) removing the polar organic solvent by distillation under reduced pressure and below 45° C. to obtain a concentrate;

e) triturating the concentrate with a non-polar solvent selected from the group consisting of light petroleum and toluene;

f) removing the non-polar solvent by distillation under reduced pressure and below 45° C. to obtain the lipid soluble extract;

g) fractionating the lipid soluble extract using silica gel column chromatography using n-hexane, n-hexane:ethyl acetate mixture in a ratio of 95:5, and ethyl acetate as eluents which are used successively to obtain fraction A, fraction B, and fraction C, and

j) fractionating each of fractions A, fraction B, and C further using HPLC or GLC to obtain the constituents of fractions A, B and C wherein the constituents of fraction A are selected from the group consisting of ar-turmerone of formula 1 and turmerone of formula 2; constituents of fraction B are selected from the group consisting of curcumene and zingiberine and constituents of fraction C are selected from the group consisting of germacrone, curcumerone, zedoarone, sedoarondiol, isozdedoaronidiol and curlone.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein fraction A constitutes about 75% by weight of the lipid soluble extract.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein ar-tumerone constitutes 95% of the fraction A.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the pressure in steps d) and f) ranges between 7 and 11 mmHg.

5. A method for obtaining a lipid soluble extract from rhizomes and leaves of Curcuma species of the Zingiberaceae family, said method comprising the steps of:

a) powdering the rhizomes and leaves of the Curcuma species to obtain a powder;

b) extracting the powder with a polar organic solvent selected from the group consisting of acetone and alcohol under continuous stirring or sonication for about 24 hours at room temperature;

c) repeating step b) two to five times,

d) removing the polar organic solvent by distillation under reduced pressure and below 45° C. to obtain a concentrate;

e) triturating the concentrate with a non-polar solvent selected from the group consisting of light potroleum and toluene; and

f) removing the non-polar solvent by distillation under reduced pressure and below 45° C. to obtain the lipid soluble extract.

6. A method for fractionating the lipid soluble extract prepared by the method of claim 5 , comprising the steps of

a) fractionating the lipid soluble extract using silica gel column chromatography using n-hexane, n-hexane:ethyl acetate mixture in a ratio of 95:5, and ethyl acetate as eluents which are used successively to obtain fraction A, fraction B, and fraction C, and

b) fractionating each of fractions A, fraction B, and C further using HPLC or GLC to obtain the constituents of fractions A, B and C wherein the constituents of fraction A are selected from the group consisting of ar-turmerone of formula 1 and turmerone of formula 2; constituents of fraction B are selected from the group consisting of curcumene and zingiberine and constituents of fraction C are selected from the group consisting of germacrone, curcumerone, zedoarone, sedoarondiol, isozdedoaronidiol and curlone.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein fraction A constitutes about 75% by weight of the lipid soluble extract.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein ar-tumerone constitutes 95% of the fraction A.