Curcumin, the major component of food flavour turmeric, reduces mucosal injury in trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid‐induced colitis

Abstract

1 Inflammmatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by oxidative and nitrosative stress, leucocyte infiltration and upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines. In this study, we have investigated the protective effects of curcumin, an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant food derivative, on 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid-induced colitis in mice, a model for IBD. 2 Intestinal lesions (judged by macroscopic and histological score) were associated with neutrophil infiltration (measured as increase in myeloperoxidase activity in the mucosa), increased serine protease activity (may be involved in the degradation of colonic tissue) and high levels of malondialdehyde (an indicator of lipid peroxidation). 3 Dose -response studies revealed that pretreatment of mice with curcumin (50 mg kg À1 daily i.g. for 10 days) significantly ameliorated the appearance of diarrhoea and the disruption of colonic architecture. Higher doses (100 and 300 mg kg À1 ) had comparable effects. 4 In curcumin-pretreated mice, there was a significant reduction in the degree of both neutrophil infiltration (measured as decrease in myeloperoxidase activity) and lipid peroxidation (measured as decrease in malondialdehyde activity) in the inflamed colon as well as decreased serine protease activity. 5 Curcumin also reduced the levels of nitric oxide (NO) and O 2 À associated with the favourable expression of Th1 and Th2 cytokines and inducible NO synthase. Consistent with these observations, nuclear factor-kB activation in colonic mucosa was suppressed in the curcumin-treated mice. 6 These findings suggest that curcumin or diferuloylmethane, a major component of the food flavour turmeric, exerts beneficial effects in experimental colitis and may, therefore, be useful in the treatment of IBD.

NCB-02 (standardized Curcumin preparation) protects dinitrochlorobenzene-induced colitis through down-regulation of NFκ-B and iNOS

“…Alkaline phosphatase activity is considered as one of the sensitive markers of inflammation in the intestine, as this enzyme activity is invariably augmented in these experimental conditions of colitis. The results obtained in this study confirm the intestinal anti-inflammatory effect previously demonstrated for Curcumin [9,17] . Earlier studies provided evidence of significantly elevated activation of NFκ-B in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease [18,19] .…”

Curcumin: an orally bioavailable blocker of TNF and other pro‐inflammatory biomarkers

“…• Inhibited mucosal injury in TNBS-induced colitis in mice, reduced NO and ROS levels, inhibited neutrophil infiltration and inactivated NF-kB in colonic mucosa (Ukil et al, 2003).…”

Effectiveness of curcuminoids in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized clinical trials

“…4 In addition, one in four primary care physician consultations and half of all non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) prescriptions are related to OA. 5 Currently in the UK, 8.75 million individuals have sought treatment for OA. 6 Several dietary supplements are being marketed as treatment aids for OA, but the evidence for their effectiveness and safety remains uncertain.…”

“…8 Biochemically, the curcuminoids comprise curcumin, demethoxycurcumin (DMC) and bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC), 9 and in soluble form generally exist as keto-enol tautomers. 10 Pharmacologically, curcuminoids have been reported to possess significant anti-inflammatory properties.…”