Abstract
Background and AimsCurcumin is a hydrophobic polyphenol derived from turmeric, a traditional Indian spice. Curcumin exhibits various biological functions, but its clinical application is limited due to its poor absorbability after oral administration. A newly developed nanoparticle curcumin shows improved absorbability in vivo. In this study, we examined the effects of nanoparticle curcumin (named Theracurmin) on experimental colitis in mice.MethodsBALB/c mice were fed with 3% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in water. Mucosal cytokine expression and lymphocyte subpopulation were analyzed by real-time PCR and flow cytometry, respectively. The profile of the gut microbiota was analyzed by real-time PCR.ResultsTreatment with nanoparticle curcumin significantly attenuated body weight loss, disease activity index, histological colitis score and significantly improved mucosal permeability. Immunoblot analysis showed that NF-κB activation in colonic epithelial cells was significantly suppressed by treatment with nanoparticle curcumin. Mucosal mRNA expression of inflammatory mediators was significantly suppressed by treatment with nanoparticle curcumin. Treatment with nanoparticle curcumin increased the abundance of butyrate-producing bacteria and fecal butyrate level. This was accompanied by increased expansion of CD4+ Foxp3+ regulatory T cells and CD103+ CD8α− regulatory dendritic cells in the colonic mucosa.ConclusionsTreatment with nanoparticle curcumin suppressed the development of DSS-induced colitis potentially via modulation of gut microbial structure. These responses were associated with induction of mucosal immune cells with regulatory properties. Nanoparticle curcumin is one of the promising candidates as a therapeutic option for the treatment of IBD.
Highlights
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) comprise two major phenotypes, Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC)
Mucosal mRNA expression of inflammatory mediators was significantly suppressed by treatment with nanoparticle curcumin
Treatment with nanoparticle curcumin increased the abundance of butyrate-producing bacteria and fecal butyrate level
Summary
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) comprise two major phenotypes, Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Curcumin (1,7-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione) is a hydrophobic polyphenol with a characteristic yellow color derived from turmeric, a traditional Indian spice [4,5,6]. Numerous studies have indicated that curcumin possesses a wide variety of biological functions, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, antimicrobial, wound-healing and hypoglycemic activities [5, 6]. These multi-targeted activities of curcumin have been shown to be mediated by the suppression of various cell signaling pathways including NF-κB, STAT3, Nrf, ROS and COX-2 [5, 6]. Curcumin is a hydrophobic polyphenol derived from turmeric, a traditional Indian spice. We examined the effects of nanoparticle curcumin (named Theracurmin) on experimental colitis in mice
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