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Abstract: A comparison of the volatile compounds in Rhizomes Curcumae (Ezhu) and Radix Curcumae (Yujin) was undertaken using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Ultrasonic extraction and GC–MS methods were developed for the simultaneous determination of five sesquiterpenes, namely, α-pinene, β-elemene, curcumol, germacrone and curdione, in Ezhu and Yunjin. Good linearity (r>0.999) and high inter-day precision were observed over the investigated concentration ranges. The validated method was successfully used for the simultaneous determination of five sesquiterpenes in Ezhu and Yujin. The quantitative method can be effectively used to evaluate and monitor the quality of Chinese curcuma in clinical use. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]