Turmeric Extract Rescues Ethanol‐Induced Developmental Defect in the Zebrafish Model for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)

Abstract

Prenatal ethanol exposure causes the most frequent preventable birth disorder, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). The effect of turmeric extracts in rescuing an ethanol-induced developmental defect using zebrafish as a model was determined. Ethanol-induced oxidative stress is one of the major mechanisms underlying FASD. We hypothesize that antioxidant inducing properties of turmeric may alleviate ethanol-induced defects. Curcuminoid content of the turmeric powder extract (5 mg/mL turmeric in ethanol) was determined by UPLC and found to contain Curcumin (124.1 ± 0.2 µg/mL), Desmethoxycurcumin (43.4 ± 0.1 µg/mL), and Bisdemethoxycurcumin (36.6 ± 0.1 µg/mL). Zebrafish embryos were treated with 100 mM (0.6% v/v) ethanol during gastrulation through organogenesis (2–48 hours post fertilization; hpf) and supplemented with turmeric extract to obtain total curcuminoid concentrations of 0, 1.16, 1.72 or 2.32 µM. Turmeric supplementation showed significant rescue of the body length at 72 hpf compared to ethanol-treated embryos. The mechanism underlying the rescue remains to be determined.

The Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders—An Overview of Experimental Models, Therapeutic Strategies, and Future Research Directions

“…Embryos exposed to ethanol and co-treated with high doses of curcuminoids from turmeric extract exhibited body lengths comparable to those of the control group. Meanwhile, embryos receiving lower doses of curcuminoids presented increased body lengths relative to the ethanol-only group, though these did not match the control group's lengths [128].…”

Curcumin bioavailability issues and its effect on birth defects

“…The Curcumin containing turmeric extract rescues ethanol-induced developmental defect in the zebrafish model for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) which was due to ethanol-induced oxidative stress as reported. 20 In another study, Curcumin reduces high glucose-induced NTD formation by blocking cellular stress and caspase activation, suggesting that curcumin supplements could reduce the negative effects of diabetes on the embryo. 21…”