Frequent ingestion of the curry spice curcumin inhibits mastocytosis and suppresses intestinal anaphylaxis in a murine model of food allergy (P6034)

Abstract

Abstract IgE antibodies and mast cells play critical roles in the establishment of allergic responses to food antigens. Curcumin, the active ingredient of the curry spice turmeric, has anti-allergic properties, and thus may have the capacity to modulate mucosal mast cell activation and function during allergic responses. Here we show that frequent ingestion of curcumin inhibits mast cell expansion and suppresses intestinal anaphylaxis in a murine model of ovalbumin (OVA)-induced food allergy. Intragastric exposure to OVA in i.p. sensitized BALB/c mice induced a robust IgE-mediated response accompanied by enhanced OVA-IgE levels, intestinal mastocytosis, elevated serum mMCP-1 and acute diarrhea. In contrast, mice exposed to oral curcumin throughout the experimental regimen appeared to be normal and did not exhibit intense allergic diarrhea or a significant enhancement of OVA-IgE and intestinal mast cell expansion and activation. Furthermore, allergic diarrhea, and mast cell activation and expansion were also suppressed in mice exposed to curcumin during the challenge phase alone, despite the presence of normal levels of OVA-IgE. This suggested that curcumin may have a direct suppressive effect on intestinal mast cell homeostasis and function during food allergy. In summary, our data demonstrate a protective role for curcumin during allergic responses to food antigens, suggesting that frequent ingestion of this spice may modulate the outcome of disease in susceptible individuals.