Curcumin and the cellular stress response in free radical‐related diseases

Abstract

Free radicals play a main pathogenic role in several human diseases such as neurodegenerative disorders, diabetes, and cancer. Although there has been progress in treatment of these diseases, the development of important side effects may complicate the therapeutic course. Curcumin, a well known spice commonly used in India to make foods colored and flavored, is also used in traditional medicine to treat mild or moderate human diseases. In the recent years, a growing body of literature has unraveled the antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, and antinfectious activity of curcumin based on the ability of this compound to regulate a number of cellular signal transduction pathways. These promising data obtained in vitro are now being translated to the clinic and more than ten clinical trials are currently ongoing worldwide. This review outlines the biological activities of curcumin and discusses its potential use in the prevention and treatment of human diseases.

Formulation of nanotized curcumin and demonstration of its antimalarial efficacy

“…Recent studies have substantiated and provided scientific evidence regarding its prophylactic and therapeutic potential, unravelling its antiinflammatory, anticarcinogenic, and antiinfectious activities. [1][2][3] The cytotoxic and parasiticidal effects of curcumin have been demonstrated against protozoan parasites such as Leishmania, Trypanosoma, Giardia, and Plasmodium falciparum. [4][5][6][7] Curcumin displayed inhibitory activity against a Plasmodium berghei-infected model of malaria in mice, and was found to be synergistic with artemisinin.…”

Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Study of the Free Radical Scavenging Capacity of Curcumin and Its Demethoxy and Hydrogenated Derivatives

“…3,4) As a potent anti-oxidant, several mechanisms have been proposed which describe the direct interaction of curcumin with reactive oxygen species (ROS) as well as its involvement in ROS-independent mechanisms (i.e., induction of antioxidant enzymes). 5,6) The structure-antioxidant activity relationship of curcumin and the compound it reduces has been demonstrated in both in vitro and in vivo models, for example, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) kinetic analysis, γ-radiolysis of rat liver microsomes, 7) 2,2′-azobis(2-amidinopropane)dihydrochloride (AAPH)-induced low density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation, 8) AAPH-induced linoleic oxidation. 9) Lastly, the protective effects of curcumin on oxidative injury have been demonstrated in vivo in several animal diseases models.…”

Hormesis, Cell Death, and Regenerative Medicine for Neurodegenerative Diseases

“…Hormesis stimulates multiple bioprotective mechanism, including induction of cytoprotective pathways (such as molecular chaperones), antioxidative stress, DNA repair, and immune system activation to protect neural cells from various forms of cell death (Calabrese et al 2008a;Calabrese et al 2008b;Kendig et al 2010). Here, we will briefly discuss the induction of anti-apoptotic molecular chaperones and antioxidative stress proteins by hormesis.…”

“…A good examples is alcohol consumption, in which light drinking helps prevent heart disease and stroke (Cook and Calabrese 2006). Other examples of hormesis include physical exercise, ischemia preconditioning, and chemical treatment of cells (Calabrese et al 2007;Mattson 2008;Calabrese et al 2008a;Wang et al 2012;Wang et al 2011).…”