Hypolipidemic and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Curcuma longa-Derived Bisacurone in High-Fat Diet-Fed Mice

Abstract

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) contains various compounds that potentially improve health. Bisacurone is a turmeric-derived compound but has been less studied compared to other compounds, such as curcumin. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and lipid-lowering effects of bisacurone in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. Mice were fed HFD to induce lipidemia and orally administered bisacurone daily for two weeks. Bisacurone reduced liver weight, serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and blood viscosity in mice. Splenocytes from bisacurone-treated mice produced lower levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α upon stimulation with a toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 ligand, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and TLR1/2 ligand, Pam3CSK4, than those from untreated mice. Bisacurone also inhibited LPS-induced IL-6 and TNF-α production in the murine macrophage cell line, RAW264.7. Western blot analysis revealed that bisacurone inhibited the phosphorylation of IKKα/β and NF-κB p65 subunit, but not of the mitogen-activated protein kinases, p38 kinase and p42/44 kinases, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase in the cells. Collectively, these results suggest that bisacurone has the potential to reduce serum lipid levels and blood viscosity in mice with high-fat diet-induced lipidemia and modulate inflammation via inhibition of NF-κB-mediated pathways.

Curcuma longa extract reduces serum inflammatory markers and postprandial hyperglycemia in healthy but borderline participants with overweight and glycemia in the normal/prediabetes range: a randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled trial

“…In the present study, turmeronols A and B and bisacurone significantly inhibited LPS-induced production of these inflammatory mediators in activated macrophages ( Supplementary Figure S1 ). In addition, laboratory and animal studies showed that turmeronols A and B and bisacurone inhibit phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of NF-kB and suppress the mRNA expression of its target genes, including genes encoding IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and iNOS, in various LPS-stimulated cells, including macrophages ( 24 , 45 , 103 ). Bisacurone was also shown to increase the protein expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha, which has anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting NF-kB activation ( 104 ).…”

“…The concentration of CLE was determined to be 600 μg/mL by conducting preliminary experiments based on these reports. Preliminary experiments had confirmed that none of the potential active components of CLE were cytotoxic ( 24 , 45 ). In the last step, the cells were stimulated with LPS (final concentration, 200 ng/mL) for 15 h, and inflammatory factors were assessed in culture supernatants.…”