Abstract
Turmeric obtained from the rhizomes of Curcuma longa has been used in the prevention and treatment of many diseases since the ancient times. Curcumin is the principal polyphenol isolated from turmeric, which exhibits anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiapoptotic, antitumor, and antimetastatic activities. The existing evidence indicates that curcumin can exert a wide range of beneficial pleiotropic properties in the gastrointestinal tract, such as protection against reflux esophagitis, Barrett’s esophagus, and gastric mucosal damage induced by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and necrotizing agents. The role of curcumin as an adjuvant in the treatment of a Helicobacter pylori infection in experimental animals and humans has recently been proposed. The evidence that this turmeric derivative inhibits the invasion and proliferation of gastric cancer cells is encouraging and warrants further experimental and clinical studies with newer formulations to support the inclusion of curcumin in cancer therapy regimens. This review was designed to analyze the existing data from in vitro and in vivo animal and human studies in order to highlight the mechanisms of therapeutic efficacy of curcumin in the protection and ulcer healing of the upper gastrointestinal tract, with a major focus on addressing the protection of the esophagus and stomach by this emerging compound.
Highlights
Curcumin, the natural phenolic active ingredient of turmeric (Curcuma longa) rhizome, has been used in Asia as an herbal remedy for a variety of diseases [1]
The poor water solubility, dissolution, and retention time of curcumin in the stomach limits its practical usefulness in the treatment of peptic ulcer disease and neoplastic alterations including oral, esophageal, and gastric cancers in humans [62,63,64]
Jamil et al [57] have studied the spasmolytic, inotropic, and chronotropic activity of major curcumin metabolite tetrahydrocurcumin and the nonenzymatic curcumin hydrolysis products ferulic acid, feruloyl methane, and vanillin. They concluded that demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin showed more pronounced spasmolytic effects in guinea pig ileum as well as vasodilation and negative inotropic activity in guinea pig arteries and atria, respectively, than those exhibited by a parent curcumin
Summary
The natural phenolic active ingredient of turmeric (Curcuma longa) rhizome, has been used in Asia as an herbal remedy for a variety of diseases [1]. In a study designed to mimic the acid exposure experienced by GERD patients, treatment with curcumin prevented the expression of inflammatory cytokines in human esophageal tissue [14] This anti-inflammatory effect of curcumin has been confirmed by an in vitro study, testing the protective potential of curcumin in esophageal epithelial cell lines exposed to exogenous acid [15]. Curcumin was compared with lansoprazole, the proton pump inhibitor (PPI) commonly used as the recommended standard drug against GI-tract disorders including GERD [18,19] In these reports, curcumin was shown to effectively prevent the esophageal mucosal damage induced by acute reflux esophagitis [18,19]. This confirms that apoptosis could be one of the potentially important mechanisms of the curcumin-beneficial effect on squamous esophageal mucosa
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
