US Patent 7205011 Anti-inflammatory activity of a specific turmeric extract

Disclosed herein are mixtures of turmeric extract oils. One mixture of turmeric oils is the hexane soluble fraction obtained by dissolving turmeric powder in hexane to form a hexane mixture, filtering the hexane mixture and evaporating the hexane from the turmeric oil mixture. A more refined turmeric oil combination is the oil left after the turmeric oil mixture is dissolved in hexane, placed on a silica gel/hexane chromatography column, and eluted with hexane into fractions that were then evaporated, thereby leaving the refined turmeric oil combination. Also disclosed are methods for treating inflammation, arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis and a pharmaceutical dosage form of the refined turmeric oil combination.