Abstract
This study measures the curcumin concentration in rat plasma by liquid chromatography and investigates the changes in the glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity of streptozotocin-diabetic rats treated with curcumin-enriched yoghurt. The analytical method for curcumin detection was linear from 10 to 500 ng/mL. The C max and the time to reach C max (t max) of curcumin in plasma were 3.14 ± 0.9 μg/mL and 5 minutes (10 mg/kg, i.v.) and 0.06 ± 0.01 μg/mL and 14 minutes (500 mg/kg, p.o.). The elimination half-time was 8.64 ± 2.31 (i.v.) and 32.70 ± 12.92 (p.o.) minutes. The oral bioavailability was about 0.47%. Changes in the glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity were investigated in four groups: normal and diabetic rats treated with yoghurt (NYOG and DYOG, resp.) and treated with 90 mg/kg/day curcumin incorporated in yoghurt (NC90 and DC90, resp.). After 15 days of treatment, the glucose tolerance and the insulin sensitivity were significantly improved in DC90 rats in comparison with DYOG, which can be associated with an increase in the AKT phosphorylation levels and GLUT4 translocation in skeletal muscles. These findings can explain, at least in part, the benefits of curcumin-enriched yoghurt to diabetes and substantiate evidences for the curcumin metabolite(s) as being responsible for the antidiabetic activity.
Highlights
IntroductionCurcumin (diferuloylmethane) is a yellow pigment isolated from the dried rhizomes of Curcuma longa L. (turmeric)
Curcumin is a yellow pigment isolated from the dried rhizomes of Curcuma longa L
A wide range of biological activities has been attributed to curcumin; the translation of its experimental biological benefits into clinical trials is difficult due to the low bioavailability of this pigment when administered orally, observed in both rodents [7] and humans [8], which is explained by its poor absorption due to the low solubility in water, limited tissue distribution, and rapid rate of Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine metabolism in liver and intestine followed by the rapid excretion from the body [9]
Summary
Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) is a yellow pigment isolated from the dried rhizomes of Curcuma longa L. (turmeric). Traditional Indian and Chinese medicines have used turmeric for the treatment of a diversity of diseases [1]; curcumin has been cited as the main phytochemical responsible for the turmeric beneficial effects. A wide range of biological activities has been attributed to curcumin; the translation of its experimental biological benefits into clinical trials is difficult due to the low bioavailability of this pigment when administered orally, observed in both rodents [7] and humans [8], which is explained by its poor absorption due to the low solubility in water, limited tissue distribution, and rapid rate of Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine metabolism in liver and intestine followed by the rapid excretion from the body [9]. The low bioavailability of curcumin appears as a major barrier to reach its adequate circulating levels related to desirable pharmacodynamic actions, hindering its clinical approval as a therapeutic agent for several diseases
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