BSc Human Nutrition & Dietetics

Semester VII

Course: Drug Nutrient Interaction

Curcumin & it’s effects on Inflammation

Submitted to: Ms. Anum Akmal

Submitted by: Minahil Fatima
SAP# 014779
Curcumin & it’s effect on Inflammation 1

Curcumin & it’s effects on Inflammation

Introduction:
Turmeric, a spice and herbal medicine, contains a polyphenol called curcumin.1 Curcumin,
the principal active ingredient of turmeric and the source of its vivid yellow colour, was
discovered in 1910 by Lampe and Milobedzka. Turmeric contains three curcuminoids:
curcumin (diferuloylmethane), demethoxycurcumin, and bis-demethoxycurcumin, in
addition to volatile oils (tumerone, atlantone, and zingiberone), carbohydrates, proteins,
and resins. Indian saffron is another name for the curcutinoid complex. Curcumin is a
lipophilic polyphenol that is practically insoluble in water but remains stable at the
stomach's acidic pH.2
Curcumin belongs to the chemical class diferuloylmethane; its IUPAC designation is (1E,6E)
-1,7-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl). The chemical formula for
-1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione is C21H20O6 and the molecular weight is 368.38.3 Curcumin
is a free radical scavenger and hydrogen donor with pro- and antioxidant action. It can
also act as an iron chelating agent by binding metals, notably iron and copper. It is an
extremely non-toxic compound.4
Curcumin's methods of action include the suppression of many cell signaling pathways at
several levels, impacts on cellular enzymes such as cyclooxygenase and glutathione
S-transferases, immuno-modulation, and effects on angiogenesis and cell-cell adhesion.
Curcumin's capacity to influence gene transcription and trigger apoptosis in preclinical
models is predicted to be especially important in cancer chemoprevention and
chemotherapy in humans. Curcumin pharmacokinetic studies revealed a low
bio-availability following oral administration because it is rapidly metabolized,
conjugated in the liver, and eliminated in the stools.1,2,5
Numerous approaches have been attempted to boost curcumin bio-availability. These
alternatives include the application of an additive, such as piperine(piperine is an
alkaloid found in black pepper and long pepper), which interferes with glucuronidation;
the use of liposomal curcumin; the use of curcumin nanoparticles; the use of curcumin
phospholipid complex; and the use of structural analogues of curcumin. Systemic
bioavailability was improved by up to 154% with large dosages of oral curcumin (2000
mg/kg) and piperine co-administration. Theracurmin, a synthetically generated
nano-particle version of curcumin with a better bio-availability, was created. 26
Previous research on the pharmacokinetics of Theracurmin in healthy people yielded
Curcumin & it’s effect on Inflammation 2

acceptable plasma concentrations after a single dosage. Curcumin was found to be safe
in pilot phase I clinical studies, even when ingested at a daily dose of 12 g for three
months. 5,6,11,20

Properties of curcumin:
Curcumin is an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-atherosclerotic; it inhibits scarring,
cataract, and gallstone formation; it promotes wound healing and muscle regeneration; it
prevents liver injury and kidney toxicity; and it has medicinal benefits for psoriasis,
diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's, HIV disease, septic shock, cardiovascular
disease, lung fibrosis, arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease. Turmeric reduces the
creation of blood clots, which helps to avoid atherosclerosis. Curcumin has the ability to
bond with heavy metals such as cadmium and lead, decreasing their toxicity. Curcumin
has recently sparked interest as a possible anticancer drug, both chemo-preventative and
chemotherapeutic. Curcumin has been shown in animal experiments to be effective in
treating a variety of cancers, including breast cancer, colon cancer, kidney cancer, liver
cancer, leukaemia, basal cell carcinoma, prostate cancer, rhabdomyosarcoma, and
melanoma. Curcumin inhibits nearly every major step of carcinogenesis, including
transformation, initiation, promotion, invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis.7,13
Anti-oxidant properties: Curcuminoids' antioxidant properties are due to their chemical
makeup. Curcumin reduces lipid per-oxidation by using linoleate, a polyunsaturated
fatty acid that may oxidise and produce fatty acid radicals.8
Hepatoprotective properties: Another study found that curcumin protects the liver from
CCl4-induced damage by suppressing NF-B activation and exhibiting an antioxidative
impact.8
Anti-Cancer properties: Curcumin suppresses carcinogenesis in vitro and in vivo by
influencing two key processes: angiogenesis and tumour development. Curcumin
promotes cell death in a variety of animal and human cell lines, including leukaemia,
melanoma, and breast, lung, colon, kidney, ovary, and liver carcinomas.8
Curcumin & it’s effect on Inflammation 3

Skin carcinogenic properties: Jiang et al found that curcumin may cause apoptosis and
suppress melanoma cell growth.8
Anti-inflammatory properties: Curcumin has been discovered to have amazing
anti-inflammatory properties. Several experimental and pharmacologic trials have
demonstrated its anti-inflammatory effectiveness. Molecular research has shown that
curcumin inhibits the activation of molecules or enzymes found in human cells that
might cause an inflammatory reaction. Surh et al., for example, discovered that
curcumin may suppress the activity and raise the expression of cyclooxygenase-2
(COX-2) in diverse cell lines and animal models. 8,22
What is the Inflammatory process?
Inflammation is a two-edged sword. Inflammation can be detected when a wound grows, gets
red, and aches. In general, inflammation is the body's immune system's reaction to an
irritant. The irritant might be a bacterium or a foreign item, such as a splinter in your
finger. This suggests that an inflammation does not begin solely when a wound is
contaminated with germs, is gushing pus, or is healing badly. It begins when the body
attempts to fight off the toxic irritation. Excessive acute and chronic low-grade
inflammation, on the other hand, is a driving factor behind many chronic illnesses.9,10
NF-B is a key cellular regulator of the inflammatory response that regulates the expression of
many target genes involved in defense and oxidative stress, cell growth regulation, and
apoptosis.9
Causes of Inflammation: Pathogens (germs) such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi, External
injuries, such as scrapes or injury from external objects, Chemical or radiation effects.10
Inflammatory diseases or medical illnesses are frequently given names that finish in "-itis."
As an example: Cystitis is a bladder ailment. Bronchitis, when bronchial tubes are
inflamed. Otitis media is a middle ear irritation. Dermatitis is an inflammation of the
skin.10
Curcumin & it’s effect on Inflammation 4

Anti-Inflammatory effects of Curcumin:

Turmeric's anti-inflammatory benefits are most likely a result of a mixture of three main
qualities. To begin, turmeric reduces the creation of the inflammatory histamine. Second,
it boosts and extends the activity of cortisol, the body's natural anti-inflammatory
adrenal hormone. Finally, turmeric enhances circulation, pushing toxins out of tiny
joints where cellular wastes and inflammatory substances are usually trapped.
Curcumin's anti-inflammatory actions are mediated via the inhibition of inflammatory
transcription factors, cytokines, redox state, protein kinases, and enzymes, all of which
cause inflammation. Curcumin also promotes apoptotic cell death via mitochondrial and
receptor-mediated mechanisms, as well as caspase cascade activation.13,14
Curcumin inhibits the production of many pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumour
necrosis factor (TNF-), interleukins (IL-1, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12), and chemokines,
most likely through inactivating the nuclear transcription factor nuclear factor (NF)-B.12

Curcumin and Obesity: According to latest scientific conclusions, curcumin acts

synergistically with white adipose tissue to reduce chronic inflammation. Curcumin
suppresses macrophage infiltration and nuclear factor B (NF-B) stimulation in adipose
tissue generated by inflammatory agents. Curcumin inhibits the expression of the
pro-inflammatory adipokines tumour necrosis factor (TNF), monocyte chemo-attractant
protein-1 (MCP-1) and plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1) while increasing
the expression of adiponectin, the main anti-inflammatory substance released by
adipocytes. Curcumin also inhibits adipocyte development and promotes antioxidant
activity. Curcumin decreases obesity and the negative health impacts of obesity via these
several pathways.15
Curcumin & it’s effect on Inflammation 5

Osteoarthritis: Osteoarthritis (OA), a chronic joint disorder, is however one illness related
with inflammation, both chronic and acute. Curcumin has been proven in several trials
to have anti-arthritic properties in patients with OA and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). For
six weeks, 40 patients with mild-to-moderate knee OA were randomly allocated to
receive either curcuminoid (500 mg/day in three separate doses) with 5 mg piperine
added to each 500-mg dosage or a matching placebo in a randomized double-blind
placebo-controlled experiment. The visual analogue scale saw substantially higher
decreases. Significant improvements were observed in the pain and physical function
levels, but not in the stiffness score.16
Metabolic Syndrome: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) involves insulin resistance,
hyperglycemia, hypertension, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C),
increased low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), elevated triglyceride levels, and
obesity, mainly visceral obesity. Curcumin has been proven to lower numerous features
of MetS by enhancing insulin sensitivity, inhibiting adipogenesis, and lowering blood
pressure, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Furthermore, there is evidence that
curcuminoids regulate gene expression and the activity of enzymes involved in
lipoprotein metabolism, resulting in lower plasma triglyceride and cholesterol levels and
higher HDL-C concentrations.16
Alzheimer's disease and Curcumin: Certain features are thought to be involved in the
process by which AD damages nerve cells: inflammation, oxidative damage, and, most
importantly, the production of beta-amyloid plaques, as well as metal toxicity. Several
investigations on the impact of curcumin on Alzheimer's disease have been conducted.
Curcumin may help macrophages clean the amyloid plaques present in Alzheimer's
disease, according to a UCLA research. Macrophages are important constituents of the
immune system. They assist the body in fighting foreign proteins and successfully
eliminating them. Curcumin was combined with macrophages in the blood of nine
volunteers: six Alzheimer's sufferers and three healthy controls. Then beta amyloid was
added. When compared to patients whose macrophages were not treated with curcumin,
the AD patients whose macrophages were treated with curcumin demonstrated enhanced
plaque uptake and ingestion. As a result, curcumin may help the immune system
eliminate the amyloid protein.17
Curcumin & it’s effect on Inflammation 6

Inflammatory Bowel Disease: IBD is a chronic relapsing inflammatory illness marked by

oxidative and nitrosative stress, leucocyte infiltration, and pro-inflammatory cytokine
up-regulation. NF-B is a critical target for many IBD medications because it is involved
in the synthesis of cytokines and chemokines that are essential for inflammation.
McCann et colleagues. discovered that various turmeric extracts might improve
SLC22A4 and IL-10 polymorphisms linked with IBD by lowering improper epithelial
cell transport and enhancing anti-inflammatory cytokine gene promoter activity (IL-10,
-1082A)18
Cardiovascular disease: Inflammation and oxidative stress, activation of pro-inflammatory
cytokines, persistent trans-mural inflammation, and C reactive protein are well
recognized as essential processes in the development of CVDs (CRP). Curcumin
reduced inflammation, cardiac hypertrophy, and fibrosis via inhibiting p300-HAT
activity and downstream NF-B, GATA4, and other signal pathways.18
Inflammation and Cancer: Curcumin has been extensively explored as a strong anti-oxidant
in the last two decades due to its capacity to directly scavenge ROS (such as O2, OH,
NO, and ONOO radicals) and inflammatory agent by down regulating pro-inflammatory
cytokines and transcription factors. Furthermore, results have revealed intriguing
insights into curcumin's immunomodulatory potential. It has the ability to control the
activation of T-cells, B-cells, macrophages, neutrophils, natural killer (NK) cells, and
dendritic cells. Curcumin, at modest dosages, can, nevertheless, boost antibody
responses. These molecular evidences imply that its observed beneficial benefits in
malignancies may be owing to direct anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities, as
Curcumin & it’s effect on Inflammation 7

well as its potential to influence immune systems. Curcumin decreased cell proliferation
and tumour development in two investigations of colon and prostate cancer. Turmeric
and curcumin have anti-carcinogenic properties due to their direct antioxidant and
free-radical scavenging actions, as well as their capacity to indirectly boost glutathione
levels, assisting in hepatic detoxification of mutagens and carcinogens and reducing
nitrosamine production.12,13
How to take Curcumin:
Curcumin exists as an active compound in Turmeric, for decades it has been used as a staple
spice in foods in Asia and a herbal medicine. No toxicity has been observed in studies so
far, curcumin ranges from 2100-2500mg was consumed in India. Curcumin can be taken
orally as a spice in foods, it is also available in the form of over-the-counter supplements,
but it is also now present in the form of creams, ointments, mouthwashes, gels, creams,
and tonics. Adults have most commonly utilized turmeric in amounts of up to 1.5
grammes daily for up to 9 months. It is also occasionally found in mouthwashes, gels,
creams, and tonics.21
Curcumin & it’s effect on Inflammation 8

Citations:
1. Sharma, R.A., Gescher, A.J. and Steward, W.P., 2005. Curcumin: the story so
far. European journal of cancer, 41(13), pp.1955-1968.
2. Jurenka, J.S., 2009. Anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin, a major constituent of
Curcuma longa: a review of preclinical and clinical research. Alternative medicine
review, 14(2).
3. Giordano, A. and Tommonaro, G., 2019. Curcumin and cancer. Nutrients, 11(10),
p.2376.
4. Hatcher, H., Planalp, R., Cho, J., Torti, F.M. and Torti, S.V., 2008. Curcumin: from
ancient medicine to current clinical trials. Cellular and molecular life sciences, 65(11),
pp.1631-1652.
5. Hsu, C.H. and Cheng, A.L., 2007. Clinical studies with curcumin. The molecular targets
and therapeutic uses of curcumin in health and disease, pp.471-480.
6. Goel, A., Kunnumakkara, A.B. and Aggarwal, B.B., 2008. Curcumin as “Curecumin”:
from kitchen to clinic. Biochemical pharmacology, 75(4), pp.787-809.
7. Beevers, C.S. and Huang, S., 2011. Pharmacological and clinical properties of
curcumin. Botanics: Targets and Therapy, 1, pp.5-18.
8. Perrone, D., Ardito, F., Giannatempo, G., Dioguardi, M., Troiano, G., Lo Russo, L., De
Lillo, A., Laino, L. and Lo Muzio, L., 2015. Biological and therapeutic activities, and
anticancer properties of curcumin. Experimental and therapeutic medicine, 10(5),
pp.1615-1623.
9. Wallert, M., Börmel, L. and Lorkowski, S., 2021. Inflammatory diseases and vitamin
E—what do we know and where do we go?. Molecular Nutrition & Food
Research, 65(1), p.2000097.
10. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care; 2006-. What is
an inflammation? 2010 Nov 23 [Updated 2018 Feb 22]
11. Fadus, M.C., Lau, C., Bikhchandani, J. and Lynch, H.T., 2017. Curcumin: An age-old
anti-inflammatory and anti-neoplastic agent. Journal of traditional and complementary
medicine, 7(3), pp.339-346.
12. Basnet, P. and Skalko-Basnet, N., 2011. Curcumin: an anti-inflammatory molecule from
a curry spice on the path to cancer treatment. Molecules, 16(6), pp.4567-4598.
13. Akram, M., Shahab-Uddin, A.A., Usmanghani, K.H.A.N., Hannan, A.B.D.U.L.,
Mohiuddin, E. and Asif, M., 2010. Curcuma longa and curcumin: a review article. Rom J
Biol Plant Biol, 55(2), pp.65-70.
Curcumin & it’s effect on Inflammation 9

14. Shehzad, A., Rehman, G. and Lee, Y.S., 2013. Curcumin in inflammatory
diseases. Biofactors, 39(1), pp.69-77.
15. Bradford, P.G., 2013. Curcumin and obesity. Biofactors, 39(1), pp.78-87.
16. Hewlings, S.J. and Kalman, D.S., 2017. Curcumin: A review of its effects on human
health. Foods, 6(10), p.92.
17. Mishra, S. and Palanivelu, K., 2008. The effect of curcumin (turmeric) on Alzheimer's
disease: An overview. Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology, 11(1), p.13.
18. He, Y., Yue, Y., Zheng, X., Zhang, K., Chen, S. and Du, Z., 2015. Curcumin,
inflammation, and chronic diseases: how are they linked?. Molecules, 20(5),
pp.9183-9213.
19. Anand, P., Kunnumakkara, A.B., Newman, R.A. and Aggarwal, B.B., 2007.
Bioavailability of curcumin: problems and promises. Molecular pharmaceutics, 4(6),
pp.807-818.
20. Fadus, M.C., Lau, C., Bikhchandani, J. and Lynch, H.T., 2017. Curcumin: An age-old
anti-inflammatory and anti-neoplastic agent. Journal of traditional and complementary
medicine, 7(3), pp.339-346.
21. TURMERIC: Overview, Uses, Side Effects, Precautions, Interactions, Dosing and
Reviews (no date). Available at:
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-662/turmeric.
22. Boroumand, N., Samarghandian, S. and Hashemy, S.I., 2018. Immunomodulatory,
anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects of curcumin. Journal of Herbmed
Pharmacology, 7(4), pp.211-219.