Bisset (1994) reported that it is the curcumin, discovered in animal in vitro studies, that has an immunosuppressive activity which is able to effect and disable neoplastic, viral, and oxidative activities in the studied animals. It was discovered to induce apoptosis, which is known in the scientific community as “programmed cell death”, hence, stopping cancer cell encoding. In addition, it seems to stop disrupt the activity of platelet-activating factor and arachidonic acid, hence explaining it antiseptic and antiparasitic activity. In another animal study by Commandeur et al. (1996), they used rats and mice which were given a diet of curcumin. Their results showed that this substance has prevented the activity of carcinogenesis in the skin, and along the gastrointestinal tract: stomach, duodenum, and colon.
The molecular experimental study endeavored by Ranjan et al (2004), explored the anti-suppressive benefit of curcumin. Their study addressed the significance of the role of immunosuppresants in treating post-transplant patients, since it is the T-cells that provide the sensitivity pathway to acute transplant rejection. The researchers explored the molecular pathway which curcumin could interfere with T-cell mediated transplant rejection. In this experimental design, they have extracted human lymphocytes from fresh human spleen, placed it in a place where they added mitogens, from which they cultured and did an assay for Interleukin-2 (IL-2) synthesis via ELIS and H-thymidine uptake. Another experiment of the same type, however IL-2 was added causing cell stimulation to see if curcumin can inhibit IL-2. At the end of the study, it was shown that curcumin stopped the action of IL-2 synthesis, mitogen and IL-2-induced human lymphocytes. These are all mediators in the stimulation of the T-cell mediated pathway. Hence, showing that curcumin could be useful in treating acute transplant rejection.
While in the study of and Bright (2002), where they did an experimental animal model for possible use of curcumin in multiple sclerosis. The researches gave the mice in vivo treatment of SJL/L curcumin, where there study showed that curcumin significantly reduced the duration and severity of active immunization. While in and invitro treatment of curcumin showed that the interleukin-12 (IL-12) -induced tyrosine phosphorylation and other transcription factors were inhibited, thereby the IL-12-induced T-cell production has been reduced, which is an essential step in T-cell activation. In their findings, since one of the established pathogenesis for Multiple Sclerosis involves the T-cell activation, curcumin may have potential therapeutic use for demyelinating diseases.
In Kuttan’s open clinical trial involving 62 patients with skin and mucous membrane cancers. The researchers have applied curcumin 0.5% ointment on the lesions. Those that applied ointment 4 times a day for at least four weeks, around a total 68% of patients responded where in 90% claimed it decreased the smell of the wound, 70% claimed it decreased exudates, and 50% claimed to have decreased in wound pain. The weakness of this study is that it did not provide a long-term follow-up report among these patients.
While in the study done by Kumar et al. (2007), which is another experimental animal study which aimed to see if the neuroprotectant effects of curcumin can be validated. The researchers simulated neurological disorders in rats by injecting a neurotoxic fungi substance that’s known to cause cognitive impairment and oxidative stress. They then applied curcumin at 10, 20 and 50 mg/kg per orem once a day for 8 days beginning in the 4th day prior to administration of the neurotoxic fungi. Their studies showed that curcumin has reduced oxidative stress in the rat model which leads to the neuroprotection effect. However, this study could only claim its potential prevention for neuroprotection, and did not state that it is conclusive in preventing neuroprotection.
There have been plenty molecular studies explaining the beneficial and therapeutic effect of curcumin, which is found in the curry spice turmeric. However, there are limited clinical trials for this drug, nor its food form, tumeric. Although majority of these open clinical trial reported its potential beneficial effects. In India, turmeric was said to be ingested at around 80-200mg of curcumin a day, with a limited to almost no side effects reported of the drug; even those that apply it as an ointment, rarely experience contact dermatitis; and that those that ingest a high dose of curcumin, it was reported that only 1 patient among 62 patients have reported a potential case of gastric ulcer, and the rest has no gastric complaints whatsoever (Grant and Schneider, 2000). Hence, with proper dosage, and warranted high safety window, this could serve as an alternative and economic-friendly treatment in various diseases that was mentioned.
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Bisset NG, ed. 1994.Herbal drugs and phyto-pharmaceuticals: a handbook for practice on a scientific basis. Boca Raton, FL: CRC;
Commandeur JNM, Vermeulen NPE. 1996; Cytotoxicity and cytoprotective activities of natural compounds: the case of curcumin Xenobiotica. 26:667-80.
Deodhar SD, Sethi R, Srimal RC. Preliminary study on antirheumatic activity of curcumin (diferuloyl methane). Indian J Med Res. 1980; 71:632-4.
Fetrow CW, Avila JR. Professional's hand-book of complementary and alternative medicine. Springhouse, PA: Springhouse; 1999.
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Grant, K., Schneider, C. M.D. 2000. Alternative Therapies: Turmeric. Am J Health-Syst Pharm 57(12):1121-11122
, .2002 Curcumin inhibits experimental allergic encephalomyelitis by blocking IL-12 signaling through Janus kinase-STAT pathway in T lymphocytes. 15;168(12):6506-13
Kumar, P., Padi, S.S.V., Naidu, P.S., Kumar, A. 2007. Possible neuroprotective mechanisms of curcumin in attenuating 3-nitorpropionic acid-induced neurotoxicity.Methods Find Exp Clin Pharmacol, 29(1): 19
Kuttan R, Sudheeran PC, Joseph CD. 1987. Turmeric and curcumin as topical agents in cancer therapy. Tumori. 73:29-31.
Ranjan, D., Chen, C., Johnston, T., Jeon, H., Nagabhushan, M. 2004. Curcumin inhibits mitogen stimulated lymphocyte proliferation, NFκB activation, and IL-2 signaling. , Pages 171-177
