Effects of turmeric powder on intestinal and biliary functions: The influence of curcuminoids concentration on spontaneous contractility

Abstract

• Curcuminoid content of two Curcuma longa L. food powders was determined by HPLC. • Different curcuminoid content reduced spontaneous contractility. • The amount of curcuminoids may be relevant for the formulation of functional foods. Two turmeric food powders (C1 and C 2) were studied for curcuminoid content and their effects on the guinea pig intestinal tract in vitro. C1 contained a higher curcuminoid content than C2 (5.22% vs 2.31%). C1 and C2 increased gallbladder (∼10%) and biliary smooth muscle tone (∼15%), without affecting the sphincter of Oddi smooth muscle contractility. C2 was more effective than C1 in lowering ileum tone (–22% vs −37%), whereas the reverse occurred in the colon (-50% vs −20%). Standard Fast Fourier transforms and absolute powers analysis of the frequency bands highlighted that, in the bile duct, C2 induced contractions of higher variability and ampler oscillations of low-frequency waves. At the Oddi sphincter, C1 had a biphasic effect, increasing and then drastically decreasing the oscillations. The same occurred with C2 in the ileum, while both samples reduced the fluctuations in the colon.