Doses Of Curcumin Research Articles

Curcumin effect on Acanthamoeba triangularis encystation under nutrient starvation.

BackgroundCurcumin is an active compound derived from turmeric, Curcuma longa, and is known for its benefits to human health. The amoebicidal activity of curcumin against Acanthamoeba triangularis was recently discovered. However, a physiological change of intracellular pathways related to A. triangularis encystation mechanism, including autophagy in the surviving amoeba after curcumin treatment, has never been reported. This study aims to investigate the effect of curcumin on the survival of A. triangularis under nutrient starvation and nutrient-rich condition, as well as to evaluate the A. triangularis encystation and a physiological change of Acanthamoeba autophagy at the mRNA level.MethodsIn this study, A. triangularis amoebas were treated with a sublethal dose of curcumin under nutrient starvation and nutrient-rich condition and the surviving amoebas was investigated. Cysts formation and vacuolization were examined by microscopy and transcriptional expression of autophagy-related genes and other encystation-related genes were evaluated by real-time PCR.ResultsA. triangularis cysts were formed under nutrient starvation. However, in the presence of the autophagy inhibitor, 3-methyladenine (3-MA), the percentage of cysts was significantly reduced. Interestingly, in the presence of curcumin, most of the parasites remained in the trophozoite stage in both the starvation and nutrient-rich condition. In vacuolization analysis, the percentage of amoebas with enlarged vacuole was increased upon starvation. However, the percentage was significantly declined in the presence of curcumin and 3-MA. Molecular analysis of A. triangularis autophagy-related (ATG) genes showed that the mRNA expression of the ATG genes, ATG3, ATG8b, ATG12, ATG16, under the starvation with curcumin was at a basal level along the treatment. The results were similar to those of the curcumin-treated amoebas under a nutrient-rich condition, except AcATG16 which increased later. On the other hand, mRNA expression of encystation-related genes, cellulose synthase and serine proteinase, remained unchanged during the first 18 h, but significantly increased at 24 h post treatment.ConclusionCurcumin inhibits cyst formation in surviving trophozoites, which may result from its effect on mRNA expression of key Acanthamoeba ATG-related genes. However, further investigation into the mechanism of curcumin in A. triangularis trophozoites arrest and its association with autophagy or other encystation-related pathways is needed to support the future use of curcumin.

Evaluating the effect of curcumin on the metacestode of Taenia crassiceps

Curcumin, a curcuminoid present in the rhizome of the plant Curcuma longa has multiple pharmacological effects including anticarcinogenic and anti-inflammatory properties. This work evaluates the anthelmintic effect of the curcumin molecule (98% pure) on Taenia crassiceps cysticerci viability in vitro. Cysticerci incubated in the presence of increasing concentrations of curcumin showed a dose-dependent mortality correlated with a significant increase in the production of reactive oxygen species and a partial inhibition of thioredoxin-glutathione reductase, the only disulfide reductase present in these parasites. At 500 μM curcumin, a 100% of cysticerci lethality was obtained after 2 h of treatment. These results suggest the curcumin-induced oxidative stress could be in the origin of the anthelminthic effect of curcumin. Mice with cysticerci were injected intraperitoneally with 20, 40, or 60 mM curcumin daily for 30 days. A decrease in the burden of cysticerci (46%) was observed with a 60 mM dose of curcumin, supporting this compound as a potential anthelmintic drug.

Curcumin attenuates development of depressive-like behavior in male rats after spinal cord injury: involvement of NLRP3 inflammasome

Objectives: The purpose of this study is investigating curcumin role in mood alterations in male rats after spinal cord injury through focusing on the involvement of NLRP3 inflammasome.
 Methods: Fourteen adualt male Wistar rats (220–250 g) were divided to five animal groups (n = 8 per group): Control: healthy animals which received normal saline for 14 days; spinal cord injury: spinal cord injury-induced animals which received normal saline for 14 days; spinal cord injury + curcumin (20, 40, and 80 mg/kg/ i.p): spinal cord injury-induced animals treated with 3 doses of curcumin for 14 days. To assess the mood of animals, the elevated plus maze test, forced swimming test, tail suspension test, and open field test were performed. Graph-pad prism software was used for data analysis. Statistical analysis was done by one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s post hoc test. P < 0.05 was statistically significant.
 Results: Treatment with curcumin with two doses of 40 and 80 mg/kg increased open arm time and decreased close arm time as compared to the spinal cord injury group. The administration of curcumin (40 mg/kg and 80 mg/kg) enhanced the altered behaviors. Spinal cord injury caused an increase in the protein levels NLRP3, ASC and Casp1 in the hippocampus of animals as compared to the sham group. Curcumin regulated the protein levels of NLRP3, ASC and Casp1 in the hippocampus of animals.
 Conclusion: Depression is prevalent in person with spinal cord injury and our findings indicated that curcumin appears to constitute a suitable agent to reduce neuroinflammation and through it, relieve a depressive-like state.

The Effect of Curcumin on Lipid Profile and Glycemic Status of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a progressive metabolic disorder, some natural compounds are thought to be beneficial in improving the metabolic status of patients with T2DM. Curcumin is the main bioactive agent of turmeric, the impact of curcumin on T2DM is still controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effects of curcumin on lipids profile and glucose status in patients with T2DM. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the effects of curcumin on lipids profile and glycemic control of T2DM patients were searched in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Library. Pooled estimates of weighted mean difference (WMD) were calculated between intervention and control groups using random-effects or fixed-effects model. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess the effects. Nine eligible RCT with 604 subjects were included. The estimated pooled mean changes with curcumin were −18.97 mg/dL (95% CI: −36.47 to −1.47; P=0.03) for triglyceride (TG), −8.91 mg/dL (95% CI: −14.18 to −3.63, P=0.001) for total cholesterol (TC), -4.01 mg/dL (95% CI: -10.96 to 2.95, P=0.259) for low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), 0.32 mg/dL (95% CI: −0.74 to 1.37, P=0.557) for high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), −8.85 mg/dL (95% CI: −14.4 to −3.29, P=0.002) for fasting blood glucose (FBG), -0.54 (95% CI: −0.81 to −0.27, P ≤ 0.001) for glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (%) compared with controls. There was a significant heterogeneity for the influence of curcumin on TG, LDL-c, FBG and HbA1c. Subgroup analysis revealed that the heterogeneity mainly attributed to trial period, curcumin dosage and other therapy. The results of this study showed that curcumin supplementation had beneficial effects on glycemic status and some lipid parameters in patients with T2DM. Further studies with large-scale are still needed to confirm the results.

Curcumin ameliorated low dose-Bisphenol A induced gastric toxicity in adult albino rats

Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the most common worldwide chemicals involved in the industry of polycarbonate plastics, medical devices, and pharmaceuticals. Forty three-month-old albino rats were randomly classified into four groups. Group Ӏ received a daily corn oil dose (5 mL/kg/ body weight, BW) through a gastric tube for one month, Group ӀӀ received a daily dose of Curcumin (200 mg/kg body weight (B.W.) through a gastric tube for one month, Group ӀӀӀ received a daily dose of BPA (0.5 μg/kg B.W.) through a gastric tube for one month and Group ӀV received concomitant daily doses of Bisphenol A and Curcumin as the regimen described in groups ӀӀ and ӀӀӀ. The rats were sacrificed, and glandular portion of stomach was dissected and processed for light, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural study. BPA induced destructed gastric glands, dilated congested blood vessels, submucosal oedema, decreased PAS-positive reactivity, increased collagen fibres deposition, decrease in the positive BCL2 immunoexpression, increased positive PCNA immunoexpression, reduction in the gastric mucosal height and destructive changes in the enteroendocrine, chief and parietal cells. Curcumin coadministration provoked an obvious improvement in the gastric structure. BPA exposure has toxic effects on the glandular portion of the stomach in rats. Otherwise, Curcumin coadministration has exhibited protective impact on the architecture of the stomach.

Curcumin Impact on Ex Vivo Toxocara vitulorum Adult Worms and Eggs

Conventional drug treatment expels adult worms from the intestinal tract but does not prevent reinfection and further contamination of the environment with eggs. This study was performed as the start of a program aiming to develop curcumin (CUR) as a lead drug for human and animal ascariasis. Ex vivo adult Toxocara vitulorum and eggs were exposed at 37°C for 4hr to different concentrations of CUR (0-500μM) in Roswell Memorial Park Institute (RPMI) 1640 medium supplemented with 2% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). The results showed that CUR slightly impaired the viability and mobility of approximately 30% of worms in a dose-dependent manner. Scanning electron microscopy revealed changes in cuticles throughout the length of the roundworms exposed to high CUR concentrations. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay failed to reveal CUR effects on specific antibody binding to the roundworm surface membrane molecules. To mimic the in vivo situation, after incubation, eggs were washed, suspended in 0.1N sulphuric acids, and examined for development and maturation 4, 7, 11, and 18 days later. Eggs produced from CUR-exposed females showed an even more remarkable delay and impairment in development in comparison to eggs, which were directly exposed to CUR. A significant increase in the number of dead eggs and prevention of maturation to the infective stage were observed in a CUR dose and time-dependent manner. These results encourage investigations of CUR impact on human and animal ascarids of public health and economic importance.

Curcumin inhibits cerebral ischaemia–reperfusion injury and cell apoptosis in rats through the ERK–CHOP–caspase-11 pathway

Context Curcumin has a significant effect on cerebral ischaemia–reperfusion injury (CIRI). However, the underlying mechanism is less studied. Objective This study investigates the role and mechanism of curcumin in CIRI. Materials and methods CIRI model Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into model, positive control and curcumin low/middle/high dose (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg/d) groups (n = 10 each). Drug intervention was administered by gavage once a day for 4 weeks. We calculated the neurobehavioural score and observed the cerebral infarct volume. Glial cytopathological changes were observed after haematoxylin–eosin staining. Apoptosis was detected by TUNEL (TdT mediated dUTP nick end labelling). Extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK), C/EBP-homologous protein (CHOP) and caspase-11 mRNA were detected by real-time PCR. Phosphorylated ERK (p-ERK), phosphorylated CHOP (p-CHOP) and caspase-11 were detected by Western blot. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was detected by xanthine oxidation method; malondialdehyde (MDA) content by thiobarbituric acid colorimetry; and, glutathione (GSH) by spectrophotometry. Results Compared with control, the neurobehavioural scores, neuronal apoptosis, MDA, IL-1β, IL-18, mRNAs and protein levels of ERK/p-ERK, CHOP/p-CHOP and caspase-11 in model group were significantly higher (p < 0.01). Compared with model, the positive control and medium/high dose curcumin groups were significantly lower (p < 0.01). However, SOD and GSH decreased significantly in model group but increased significantly in positive control and medium/high dose curcumin groups (p < 0.01). Moreover, curcumin significantly alleviated ischaemic state and neuroinflammation (p < 0.01). Discussion and conclusions Curcumin may alleviate CIRI through ERK–CHOP–caspase-11 pathway. Our results may provide new insights into the pathogenesis of CIRI, and contribute to the development of treatment strategies for CIRI.

Improvement of Glycaemia and Endothelial Function by a New Low-Dose Curcuminoid in an Animal Model of Type 2 Diabetes.

Curcumin has been suggested as a promising treatment for metabolic diseases, but the high doses required limit its therapeutic use. In this study, a new curcuminoid is synthesised to increase curcumin anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potential and to achieve hypoglycaemic and protective vascular effects in type 2 diabetic rats in a lower dose. In vitro, the anti-inflammatory effect was determined through the Griess reaction, and the antioxidant activity through ABTS and TBARS assays. In vivo, Goto-Kakizaki rats were treated for 2 weeks with the equimolar dose of curcumin (40 mg/kg/day) or curcuminoid (52.4 mg/kg/day). Fasting glycaemia, insulin tolerance, plasma insulin, insulin signalling, serum FFA, endothelial function and several markers of oxidative stress were evaluated. Both compounds presented a significant anti-inflammatory effect. Moreover, the curcuminoid had a marked hypoglycaemic effect, accompanied by higher GLUT4 levels in adipose tissue. Both compounds increased NO-dependent vasorelaxation, but only the curcuminoid exacerbated the response to ascorbic acid, consistent with a higher decrease in vascular oxidative and nitrosative stress. SOD1 and GLO1 levels were increased in EAT and heart, respectively. Altogether, these data suggest that the curcuminoid developed here has more pronounced effects than curcumin in low doses, improving the oxidative stress, endothelial function and glycaemic profile in type 2 diabetes.

Immunity and Overall Tissue Health of Stinging Catfish, &lt;i&gt;Heteropneustes fossilis&lt;/i&gt; (Bloch, 1794) in Curcumin Medium

Alternative safe ingredients are being increasingly promoted for resilient and sustainable activity, as they are in demand to replace drugs in aqua feed. Curcumin is a multifunction feed additive having immunostimulant and growth-promoting properties. In the present study, curcumin was synthesized and its potency was tested in the water on fish immunity and vital tissue anatomy. Adult Heteropneustes fossilis was treated for a short period (1, 5 days) to a long period (21 days) alone, further, its post-treatment clearance effect (one week without curcumin after 21 days treatment) was studied. The results showed that a mild dose of curcumin (10 ?g/mL) in the medium was able to improve fish health (gill, liver, kidney histotexture) and immunity (direct and indirect haematology parameters) within a short duration and progressed further in a duration-dependent manner. Among haematological indices, some of them increased while others decreased significantly after curcumin treatment. Among immunity parameters white blood corpuscles, myeloperoxidase activity increased and nitroblue tetrazolium registered a decrease significantly, but the one-week post-treatment effect suggested poor maintenance of curcumin induced positive response towards health and immunity. Overall, the addition of curcumin (10 ?g/mL) improved the growth performance and health of Heteropneustes fossilis.

Superior Pharmacokinetic Profile of an Innovative, Next Generation Curcumin Formula

IntroductionCurcumin is the major bioactive component of turmeric or Curcuma longa L., a widely used spice, food colorant, preservative as well as medicinal agent in Indian and Chinese remedies. Numerous studies have demonstrated its potential benefits for heart health, immunity, diabetes, arthritis as well as joint health and mobility. Currently, curcumin‐based products in capsules, ointments, tablets, and cosmetics are marketed worldwide. One important drawback of using curcumin is its poor bioavailability and hence the need to use it at high doses to achieve measurable plasma levels and efficacy – this limits both consumer compliance and product formulation. Curcumin’s poor solubility, low absorption from the gut, rapid metabolism and rapid systemic elimination contributes to its poor bioavailability. To help overcome this major limitation of curcumin, we developed a proprietary curcumin formulation (Curcuwin Ultra+) (CU+) to enhance its bioavailability. We hypothesized that the formulation would protect the curcuminoids from degradation at intestinal alkaline pH conditions, and through this mechanism, significantly increase the availability of curcuminoids in blood and at the tissue level.GoalOur goal was to measure the pharmacokinetic profile of CU+ vs. a standard turmeric extract (STE).MethodA randomized, double‐blind, crossover study design involving 24 healthy volunteers under fasting conditions was implemented. Subjects received a single dose of 250 mg CU+, 500 mg CU+ and 1900 mg of STE. Blood samples before dosing, and at various time points post dosing up to 24 hours were collected. Total curcuminoids were measured using a validated LC‐MS/MS method. Formulations were compared based on Cmax, AUC0‐6, AUC0‐24, Tmax, t1/2, and relative absorption.ResultsMaximum serum concentration (Cmax) and total systemic exposure (AUC0‐6 and AUC0‐24) for total curcuminoids were significantly higher (p&lt;0.05) for both doses of CU+ vs. STE. For example, AUC0‐6 was 144 and 149 times greater for CU+ at 250 mg and 500 mg respectively compared to 1900 mg of STE. Additionally, CU+ showed 40% faster absorption as measured by Tmax vs. the STE (p&lt;0.05). No adverse events were observed.ConclusionsThese pharmacokinetic data demonstrates the ability of this curcumin formulation to deliver superior bioavailability vs. STE, and, at doses that are considerably lower than STE and several other commercially available curcumin products. This has important relevance to consumer compliance in terms of lowering curcumin dose and frequency of dosing. Since maximizing bioavailability influences the therapeutic effects of a compound, the next phase of our research program is to determine if this enhanced bioavailability can be translated to an efficacious benefit of CU+.

Effects of dietary curcumin in growth performance, oxidative status and gut morphometry and function of gilthead seabream postlarvae

An imbalance in the production and detoxification of reactive oxygen species and other oxidants can disrupt all types of cellular compounds, and lead to a state of oxidative stress. Preventing this state is essential to improve growth and health in animal production. Therefore, the aim of this work was to assess if the dietary supplementation of curcumin could improve the antioxidant status and intestine structure and functionality of gilthead seabream postlarvae, with the global objective of improving fish growth performance and robustness. Two experimental diets supplemented with different doses of curcumin (LOW and HIGH diets), and a commercial diet were fed to quadruplicate groups of postlarvae, for 20 days. At the end of the feeding trial fish fed the supplemented diets significantly improved their antioxidant status compared to CTRL fed fish. LOW and HIGH fed fish presented lower protein oxidative damage (P < 0.05) and higher total antioxidant capacity (P < 0.05). Moreover, postlarvae fed curcumin supplemented diets also presented an upregulation of nuclear factor erythroid 2 – related factor 2 (nrf2) and glutathione-disulfide reductase (gr) in HIGH (P < 0.05) and heat shock protein 70 (hsp70) in LOW treatments (P < 0.05). No differences were observed in growth performance, intestine morphometry, and digestive enzymes activities among treatments (P > 0.05). In conclusion, dietary curcumin supplementation was able to enhance gilthead seabream postlarvae robustness through a modulation of the oxidative status, increasing total antioxidant capacity and decreasing protein oxidative damage. This data provide evidence that curcumin can be a suitable feed additive to promote heath status and robustness of fish at early stages of development, therefore contributing for the development and sustainability of marine fish hatchery production.

Effects of Dietary Curcumin on Growth and Digestive Physiology of Seriola dumerili

In order to understand the effects of dietary curcumin on the growth and digestive performance of Seriola dumerili, this study was conducted under laboratory conditions. The control group was added with 0% curcumin, and two treatment groups were added with 0.01% and 0.02% curcumin, respectively. Fish were fed with experimental diet for 8 weeks. The growth data, growth genes, intestinal digestive enzymes, tissue parameters, and blood lipid-related indicators were measured, and the correlation between digestive indicators, growth gene indicators, and growth characteristic indicators was analyzed. The results showed that the survival rate, visceral ratio, hepatosomatic ratio, and condition factor of Seriola dumerili increased first and then decreased with the increase of curcumin content in feed. The feed conversion ratio of the control group was significantly higher than that of the treatment group. With the increase of curcumin content in feed, lipase and trypsin increased first and then decreased with the increase of curcumin content. Compared with the control group, curcumin significantly increased the muscle thickness and the number of goblet cells of Seriola dumerili. High and low contents of curcumin can reduce the content of serum total cholesterol and triglyceride, and a low dose (0.01%) of curcumin has the strongest lipid-lowering effect. The relative gene expression of IGF1 and IGF2 reached the maximum in the 0.02% treatment group. The results showed that the addition of curcumin in feed could theoretically improve the survival rate, feed efficiency, and other growth characteristics of Seriola dumerili, improve intestinal digestion and structure, promote intestinal health, and reduce blood lipid levels. The best effect was achieved in the 0.01% treatment group. The results of this study provide a theoretical reference for the feasibility of adding curcumin to Seriola dumerili feed in production and realize the optimal proportion of feed additives for this species, which is beneficial to the sustainable development of aquaculture.

Curcumin and Ethanol Effects in Trembler-J Schwann Cell Culture.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) syndrome is the most common progressive human motor and sensory peripheral neuropathy. CMT type 1E is a demyelinating neuropathy affecting Schwann cells due to peripheral-myelin-protein-22 (PMP22) mutations, modelized by Trembler-J mice. Curcumin, a natural polyphenol compound obtained from turmeric (Curcuma longa), exhibits dose- and time-varying antitumor, antioxidant and neuroprotective properties, however, the neurotherapeutic actions of curcumin remain elusive. Here, we propose curcumin as a possible natural treatment capable of enhancing cellular detoxification mechanisms, resulting in an improvement of the neurodegenerative Trembler-J phenotype. Using a refined method for obtaining enriched Schwann cell cultures, we evaluated the neurotherapeutic action of low dose curcumin treatment on the PMP22 expression, and on the chaperones and autophagy/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathways in Trembler-J and wild-type genotypes. In wild-type Schwann cells, the action of curcumin resulted in strong stimulation of the chaperone and macroautophagy pathway, whereas the modulation of ribophagy showed a mild effect. However, despite the promising neuroprotective effects for the treatment of neurological diseases, we demonstrate that the action of curcumin in Trembler-J Schwann cells could be impaired due to the irreversible impact of ethanol used as a common curcumin vehicle necessary for administration. These results contribute to expanding our still limited understanding of PMP22 biology in neurobiology and expose the intrinsic lability of the neurodegenerative Trembler-J genotype. Furthermore, they unravel interesting physiological mechanisms of cellular resilience relevant to the pharmacological treatment of the neurodegenerative Tremble J phenotype with curcumin and ethanol. We conclude that the analysis of the effects of the vehicle itself is an essential and inescapable step to comprehensibly assess the effects and full potential of curcumin treatment for therapeutic purposes.

Effects of Curcumin on Inflammatory Response During Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage (Literature Review)

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of curcumin on the inflammatory response during exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) is a literature review. The method applied to this article was a comprehensive strategy such as searching for articles in research journal databases. The databases were taken from Pubmed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase. The keywords were curcumin, inflammation, Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage, Sport, Exercise, and Healthy Lifestyle. There were 30 articles obtained, and 10 articles were analyzed through the purpose, suitability of the topic, sample size, research protocol, and the results of each article. The results of this study explain that curcumin was able to provide anti-inflammatory effects by reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α. Curcumin can also reduce muscle pain intensity, decrease CK activity, and increase ROM. The curcumin dose (&gt;180 mg/day) showed to reduce various inflammatory responses due to EIMD. Therefore, it is recommended that curcumin be used in individuals who carry out physical activities, leading to muscle damage and inflammation.

Curcumin and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: a Systematic Review.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a gynecological endocrine disorder and the leading cause of anovulatory female infertility. This study aimed to systematically review the effects of curcumin or turmeric on PCOS-related parameters. PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Knowledge databases and Google Scholar were searched up to August 2021 using relevant keywords. All original articles evaluating the effects of turmeric/curcumin on PCOS were eligible. Out of 107 documents, eight animal studies and five randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials (RCTs) assessing the impact of curcumin on PCOS met our inclusion criteria. The reviewed animal studies indicated the beneficial effects of curcumin on the management of hormonal and metabolic disturbances in the PCOS condition. These effects also were confirmed in some, but not all, included RCTs. Therefore, despite promising animal results, the present literature is limited to conclude the beneficial effects of curcumin on the clinical management of PSCO symptoms. The impact of bioavailability-improved formulations of curcumin on PCOS should be assessed in further well-designed RCTs with longer duration and higher doses of curcumin. Besides, mechanistic investigations on the effects of curcumin on PCOS are also recommended.

No persistent effects of intracerebral curcumin administration on seizure progression and neuropathology in the kindling rat model for temporal lobe epilepsy

Curcumin is known for its neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties and has been investigated as a potential therapeutic drug for Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE). We previously found anti-epileptogenic properties of curcumin in an in vitro brain slice model for epileptogenesis, and inhibitory effects on the MAPK-pathway in vivo after intracerebrally applying curcumin in post-status epilepticus rats. Here, we investigated whether the intracerebral application of curcumin could be anti-epileptogenic in the rapid kindling rat model for TLE. Curcumin or vehicle was injected directly into the brain through an intracerebral ventricular cannula at 5 consecutive days during the kindling process. Kindling consisted of repeated electrical stimulations of the angular bundle (12 times a day with a 30min interval) every other day, until rats were fully kindled or until 36 stimulations were administered. One week after kindling acquisition, additional kindling stimulations were applied in a re-test in the absence of curcumin- or vehicle treatment. Curcumin-treated rats required more stimulations compared to vehicle-treated rats to reach Racine stage IV seizures, indicating that curcumin delayed seizure development. However, it did not prevent the fully kindled state as shown in the re-test. Increasing the dose of curcumin did not produce a delay in seizure development. Immunohistochemistry showed that kindling produced cell loss, astrogliosis, mossy fiber sprouting and neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus, which were not different between vehicle- and curcumin-treated groups. Although curcumin's effects on neuropathology were not detected and the delay of kindling development was transient, the data warrant further exploration of its anti-epileptogenic potential using formulations that further increase its bioavailability.

Impact of tartrazine and curcumin on mineral status, and thyroid and reproductive hormones disruption in vivo

Endocrine disrupters (EDCs) are naturally occurring or man-made substances that either mimic or obstruct the functions of oestrogens and androgens, thyroid hormones, as well as microminerals in the body. The present work aimed to evaluate the effects of oral administration of tartrazine and curcumin, synthetic and natural dyes, respectively, on thyroid hormones (T3, T4, and TSH), female reproductive hormones (oestrogen, progesterone, LH, and FSH), and minerals (iron, copper, zinc, sodium, potassium, and chloride) in plasma, liver, and kidney of female rats after 15, 30, and 45 d of treatment. The rats were treated with admissible daily intake (ADI) and 10× ADI (9.6 and 96 mg/kg/body weight for tartrazine, 3.85 and 38.5 mg/kg/body weight for curcumin, respectively). Results showed significant changes in thyroid and female reproductive hormones, especially, in the tartrazine-treated groups as compared to the control. Low and high doses of tartrazine and curcumin significantly (p &lt; 0.05) decreased iron, copper, and zinc concentrations in plasma, whereas, the concentrations of sodium and copper in liver and kidney increased. Both tartrazine and curcumin, at ADI and 10× ADI, resulted in lower LH levels after 30 and 45 d of treatment. After 30 d, low and high dose of tartrazine significantly decreased T4, oestrogen, and FSH levels; whereas, progesterone level increased. The results demonstrated that hormone secretion and mineral content in tissues are severely affected at ADI and higher concentrations of tartrazine and curcumin. These observations suggested that lower doses of these dyes might be a safer option for their usage in foods and pharmaceuticals.

Адекватные и клинически эффективные уровни потребления куркумина

Despite the existence of sufficiently effective drug therapy, interest in additional dietary interventions that improve the clinical condition of patients with the most common alimentary diseases is constantly growing; as well as the inclusion of biologically active compounds (BAC) of plant origin as functional ingredients in foods for special dietary uses (FSDU) and dietary supplements is intensively developing. The purpose of the review is comparison of curcumin doses allowed for use in dietary supplements and FSDU with doses that provide a clinical effect, as well as an analysis of ways to increase curcumin bioavailability. Material and methods. A review of the existing literature on the problem in recent years was carried out using the databases of the Russian Science Citation Index, PubMed, ResearchGate. Results. The amount of BAC added to the FSDU in the daily portion has been established by domestic regulatory documents. The allowed maximum level in FSDU for curcumin is 150 mg per day. Literature analysis has shown that effective doses of turmeric are 320- 1670 mg per day when consumed for 10-12 weeks. The main barriers for using curcumin at lower doses are its low water solubility, rapid metabolism and elimination from the body, and therefore poor bioavailability. Curcumin bioavailability can be increased by including it in liposomes, phospholipid complexes, emulsions, oleogels, hydrogels, etc. Conclusion. Curcumin content in FSDU in an amount that does not reach doses with efficacy proven in a certain pathology, and the inclusion of such FSDU in the diet for a short period does not allow to achieve the expected result. A promising approach to achieve a clinical effect at lower doses of curcumin is the use of new technological methods to increase bioavailability.

Effects of Curcumin on Iron Overload in Rats

Background: Iron overload, common in patients with hematological disorders, is a key target in drug development. This study investigated the effects of curcumin on iron overload in rats.&#x0D; Methods: Forty male Wistar rats weighing 139.78 ± 11.95 gm (Mean ± SD) were divided into three equal groups: (i) controls; (ii) iron overload group that received six doses of iron dextran 1000 mg/kg–1 by intraperitoneal injections (i.p.); and (iii) iron overload curcumin group that received six doses of curcumin (1000 mg/kg BW by i.p.). In addition to six doses of iron dextran 1000 mg/kg–1 by i.p., we studied the effects of curcumin on liver function enzymes (alanine aminotransferase [ALT] and aspartate aminotransferase [AST]); antioxidant enzymes (malondialdehyde [MDA], total oxidant status [TOS], total antioxidant status [TAS]); hematological parameters (hemoglobin [Hb], hematocrit [Hct], red blood cells [RBC], white blood cells [WBC], mean corpus volume [MCV], mean corpuscular hemoglobin [MCH], mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration [MCHC]); and iron parameters (serum iron profile, transferrin, total iron-binding capacity [TIBC], ferritin, and transferrin saturation [TS%]).&#x0D; Results: Curcumin caused a significant decrease in the Hct and Hb concentrations in Group III (P &lt; 0.05). It also significantly reduced the serum levels of ALT (52.45 ± 4.51 vs 89.58 ± 4.65 U/L) and AST (148.03 ± 6.47 vs 265.27 ± 13.02 U/L) at the end of the study (P &lt; 0.05). The TIBC, transferrin levels, and TS significantly decreased when the rats were administered curcumin serum iron (P &lt; 0.05). The TAS level significantly increased in Group III in comparison to Group I (the control group) (P &lt; 0.05). At the end of the study, curcumin significantly reduced the serum levels of TOS (12.03 ± 2.8 vs 16.95 ± 5.05 mmol H2O2/L) while the TAS (1.98 ± 0.42 vs 1.06 ± 0.33 mmol Trolox equiv./L) was increased.&#x0D; Conclusion: The findings of the present study suggest the therapeutic potential of curcumin against iron overload.

The Effect of Premedication with Curcumin on Post-Operative Pain in Single Visit Endodontic Treatment of Acute Pulpitis in Mandibular Molars: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective: The purpose of this randomized double-blind clinical trial was to compare the effect of a single pretreatment dose of Curcumin and placebo on post-operative pain for patients diagnosed with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis in mandibular molars treated in single visit. Methods: Forty-four patients with severe to moderate pain randomly received either Curcumin (400mg +20 mg pepper) or placebo (420 mg Starch) one hour before starting root canal treatment (n = 22 per group). Participants rated their pain using visual analogue pain scale (VAS): preoperatively and at 5 time points: immediately post-operative, 8, 12, 24 and 48 hours postoperative. Patients also stated emergency analgesic intake. The need for supplemental anesthesia during treatment was recorded. Mann-Whitney U-test compared the two groups at each time point, while Repeated-Measure ANOVA and Wilcoxon Signed Rank test compared time points within each group. A p-value &lt;0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Baseline characteristics of both groups showed non-significant differences (P &gt; 05). Curcumin group at 8, 12 and 24 hours revealed statistically significantly less VAS values (44.2, 26.7, 19.1) than the placebo (58.5, 43.3, 30.3), respectively, (P &gt; 05). All patients in Curcumin group did not need emergency analgesics. Curcumin group revealed statistically significantly lower percentages for the need of supplemental anesthesia (27.3%) compared to placebo (68.2%), (P &lt; 05). Conclusion: Single preoperative oral dose of Curcumin proved to be an effective premedication that reduced post-operative pain as well as the need of supplemental anesthesia for patients diagnosed with symptomatic irreversible pulpitis of mandibular molars.