-
1.
Effects of curcumin on body weight, glycemic control and serum lipids in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
Jamilian, M, Foroozanfard, F, Kavossian, E, Aghadavod, E, Shafabakhsh, R, Hoseini, A, Asemi, Z
Clinical nutrition ESPEN. 2020;:128-133
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of curcumin on body weight, glycemic control and serum lipids in women suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). METHODS The current randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial was performed on 60 subjects with PCOS, aged 18-40 years old. Subjects were randomly allocated to take 500 mg/day curcumin (n = 30) or placebo (n = 30) for 12 weeks. Glycemic control and serum lipids were measured at baseline and after the 12-week intervention. Using RT-PCR method, gene expression related to insulin and lipid metabolism was evaluated. RESULTS Curcumin significantly decreased weight (-0.8 ± 0.9 vs. -0.2 ± 0.8 kg, P = 0.03) and BMI (-0.3 ± 0.4 vs. -0.1 ± 0.3 kg/m2, P = 0.03). Curcumin, compared with the placebo, significantly reduced fasting glucose (β -2.63 mg/dL; 95% CI, -4.21, -1.05; P = 0.002), serum insulin (β -1.16 μIU/mL; 95% CI, -2.12, -0.19; P = 0.02), insulin resistance (β -0.26; 95% CI, -0.48, -0.03; P = 0.02), and significantly increased insulin sensitivity (β 0.006; 95% CI, 0.001, 0.01; P = 0.02). In addition, taking curcumin was associated with a significant reduction in total cholesterol (β -15.86 mg/dL; 95% CI, -24.48, -7.24; P = 0.001), LDL-cholesterol (β -16.09 mg/dL; 95% CI, -25.11, -7.06; P = 0.001) and total-/HDL-cholesterol ratio (β -0.62; 95% CI, -0.93, -0.30; P < 0.001), and a significant increase in HDL-cholesterol levels (β 2.14 mg/dL; 95% CI, 0.36, 3.92; P = 0.01) compared with the placebo. Additionally, curcumin administration up-regulated gene expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-γ) (P = 0.03) and low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) (P < 0.001) compared with the placebo. CONCLUSIONS Overall, curcumin administration for 12 weeks to women with PCOS had beneficial effects on body weight, glycemic control, serum lipids except triglycerides and VLDL-cholesterol levels, and gene expression of PPAR-γ and LDLR. Registered under Clinical Trials.gov Identifier no. http://www.irct.ir: IRCT20170513033941N50.
-
2.
The effect of curcumin ointment on knee pain in older adults with osteoarthritis: a randomized placebo trial.
Jamali, N, Adib-Hajbaghery, M, Soleimani, A
BMC complementary medicine and therapies. 2020;(1):305
Abstract
BACKGROUND Some studies have shown the effect of oral administration of curcumin on knee pain. However, limited studies are available on the effect of topical curcumin. This study aimed to investigate the effect of curcumin ointment on knee pain in older adults with osteoarthritis. METHODS This double-blind randomized placebo trial was conducted on 72 older adults with knee pain associated with osteoarthritis. The subjects were randomly assigned into an intervention and a placebo group to apply either curcumin 5% ointment or Vaseline ointment twice daily for 6 weeks. Using a Visual Analog Scale, the severity of knee pain was measured at the beginning of the study, at the end of the fourth and sixth week. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential methods. RESULTS The mean baseline knee pain intensity was not significantly different between the two groups (P = 0.15). The mean pain intensity was significantly lower in the intervention group than in the placebo group at the third measurement (P = 0.02). The repeated-measures analysis showed that over time, the curcumin significantly decreased the mean pain intensity in the intervention group (P = 0.001). The mixed model showed an absolute difference of 1.133 (i.e. 11.33 mm) score which signifies a medium effect size and that the patient in the intervention group achieved the minimal clinically important difference. CONCLUSION Topical administration of curcumin 5% ointment can significantly reduce knee pain in older adults with knee osteoarthritis. Curcumin ointment can be used as an alternative treatment in older adults with knee pain associated with osteoarthritis. TRIAL REGISTRATION Retrospectively registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) (IRCT20100403003618N6, 2019-03-08), https://en.irct.ir/trial/37155.
-
3.
Effects of curcumin on mitochondria in neurodegenerative diseases.
Bagheri, H, Ghasemi, F, Barreto, GE, Rafiee, R, Sathyapalan, T, Sahebkar, A
BioFactors (Oxford, England). 2020;(1):5-20
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) result from progressive deterioration of selectively susceptible neuron populations in different central nervous system (CNS) regions. NDs are classified in accordance with the primary clinical manifestations (e.g., parkinsonism, dementia, or motor neuron disease), the anatomic basis of neurodegeneration (e.g., frontotemporal degenerations, extrapyramidal disorders, or spinocerebellar degenerations), and fundamental molecular abnormalities (e.g., mutations, mitochondrial dysfunction, and its related molecular alterations). NDs include the Alzheimer disease and Parkinson disease, among others. There is a growing evidence that mitochondrial dysfunction and its related mutations in the form of oxidative/nitrosative stress and neurotoxic compounds play major roles in the pathogenesis of various NDs. Curcumin, a polyphenol and nontoxic compound, obtained from turmeric, has been shown to have a therapeutic beneficial effect in various disorders especially on the CNS cells. It has been shown that curcumin has considerable neuro- and mitochondria-protective properties against broad-spectrum neurotoxic compounds and diseases/injury-associating NDs. In this article, we have reviewed the various effects of curcumin on mitochondrial dysfunction in NDs.
-
4.
Effects of curcumin-piperine co-supplementation on clinical signs, duration, severity, and inflammatory factors in patients with COVID-19: a structured summary of a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.
Miryan, M, Bagherniya, M, Sahebkar, A, Soleimani, D, Rouhani, MH, Iraj, B, Askari, G
Trials. 2020;(1):1027
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study aims to investigate the efficacy of curcumin-piperine co-supplementation on disease duration, severity and clinical symptoms, and inflammatory mediators in patients with coronavirus (COVID-19). TRIAL DESIGN This is a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel arm clinical trial. PARTICIPANTS All patients aged 20-75 years with the diagnosis of Covid-19 based on the PCR test. The exclusion criteria will include an age less than 20 and more than 75 years, current use of warfarin or other anticoagulant drugs, and the presence of sensitivity to herbal products such as turmeric and pepper. This study will be conducted in academic hospitals affiliated to Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. INTERVENTION AND COMPARATOR Fifty outpatients will be randomly allocated in a ratio of 1:1 to receive a capsule of curcumin-piperine containing 500 mg curcumin plus 5 mg piperine or matching placebo containing 505 mg maltodextrin twice a daily, after lunch and dinner, over a period of 2 weeks. Similarly, 50 inpatients who are admitted to hospital wards excluding intensive care unit (ICU) will be randomly assigned in a ratio of 1:1 to receive a capsule curcumin-piperine or matching placebo (provided by the Sami Labs company) twice a daily, after lunch and dinner, over a period of 2 weeks. MAIN OUTCOMES The main outcomes of this study are the efficacy of curcumin-piperine on coronavirus disease's clinical symptoms, duration, severity, and inflammatory mediators after 2 weeks of curcumin-piperine co-supplementation. RANDOMISATION Randomization sequences will be generated with the use of a random-number table with a permuted block design (block size of 4) and stratification according to the gender variable (male vs. female). These sequences will be prepared by an independent statistician and will be kept in opaque, sealed, numbered envelopes which will be opened only at the time of enrollment. The allocation ratio in intervention and control groups is 1:1. Researchers and all patients will be unaware of the study-group assignment until the completion of data analyses. BLINDING (MASKING): This study is a double-blind clinical trial (participant, researcher). The curcumin-piperine and placebo supplements are packaged in similar numbered drug containers, and the researcher and all patients will be unaware of the study assignment until the end of the study. NUMBERS TO BE RANDOMISED (SAMPLE SIZE): The calculated total sample size is 100 patients, with 25 patients in each group. TRIAL STATUS The protocol is Version 2.0, May 24, 2020. Recruitment began May 4, 2020, and is anticipated to be completed by April 19, 2021. TRIAL REGISTRATION This trial has been registered by the title of "Effect of curcumin-piperine co-supplementation on disease duration, severity and clinical signs, and inflammatory factors in patients with coronavirus (COVID-19): A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial study" in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) with code "IRCT20121216011763N46", https://www.irct.ir/trial/47529 . The registration date is May 4, 2020. FULL PROTOCOL The full protocol is attached as an additional file, accessible from the Trials website (Additional file 1). In the interest in expediting dissemination of this material, the familiar formatting has been eliminated; this Letter serves as a summary of the key elements of the full protocol.
-
5.
The effects of nanocurcumin on Treg cell responses and treatment of ankylosing spondylitis patients: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.
Ahmadi, M, Hajialilo, M, Dolati, S, Eghbal-Fard, S, Heydarlou, H, Ghaebi, M, Ghassembaglou, A, Aghebati-Maleki, L, Samadi Kafil, H, Kamrani, A, et al
Journal of cellular biochemistry. 2020;(1):103-110
Abstract
AIM: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an inflammatory rheumatic disease with increased bone mass in the main sites of inflammation. Regulatory T (Treg) cells have been reported to involve in pathology of AS. This study designed at investigating the effects of nanocurcumin on Treg cell responses in peripheral blood (PB) of AS patients. METHODS Test group including 12 AS patients received nanocurcumin daily for 4 months and control group including 12 patients received placebo. The frequency of Treg was measured by flow cytometry. The expression levels of FoxP3 and several associated microRNAs (miRNAs; miR-27, miR-17, and miR-146a) and cytokines including Interleukin-10 (IL-10), TGF-β, and IL-6 were assessed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Furthermore, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was done to determine the secretion levels of cytokines. RESULTS After treatment with nanocurcumin the frequency of Treg cells in AS patients increased significantly. The RT-PCR data indicated that the expression of miR-17 and miR-27 were significantly decreased following nanocurcumin treatment while miR-146a and FoxP3 were significantly increased. Moreover, nanocurcumin-treated group had high levels of IL-10 and TGF-β and low levels of IL-6 production than control group. CONCLUSION The findings suggested that dysregulation of Treg cells in PB influences the AS development and nanocurcumin therapy could regulate the Treg cells, and so could be useful in the treatment of AS and may be other autoimmune diseases. This study is registered with IRCT.ir, number IRCT2017052927520N7.
-
6.
Therapeutic potentials of curcumin in the treatment of glioblstoma.
Shabaninejad, Z, Pourhanifeh, MH, Movahedpour, A, Mottaghi, R, Nickdasti, A, Mortezapour, E, Shafiee, A, Hajighadimi, S, Moradizarmehri, S, Sadeghian, M, et al
European journal of medicinal chemistry. 2020;:112040
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a greatly aggressive malignancy of the brain, is correlated with a poor prognosis and low rate of survival. Up to now, chemotherapy and radiation therapy after surgical approaches have been the treatments increasing the survival rates. The low efficacy of mentioned therapies as well as their side-effects has forced researchers to explore an appropriate alternative or complementary treatment for glioblastoma. In experimental models, it has been shown that curcumin has therapeutic potentials to fight against GBM. Given that curcumin has pharmacological effects against cancer stem cells, as major causes of resistance to therapy in glioblastoma cells. Moreover, it has been showed that curcumin exerts its therapeutic effects on GBM cells via affecting on apoptosis, oxidant system, and inflammatory pathways. Curcumin would possess a synergistic impact with chemotherapeutic agents. Herein, we summarized the current findings on curcumin as therapeutic agent in the treatment of GBM.
-
7.
Curcumin ameliorates health-related quality of life in patients with liver cirrhosis: A randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial.
Nouri-Vaskeh, M, Afshan, H, Malek Mahdavi, A, Alizadeh, L, Fan, X, Zarei, M
Complementary therapies in medicine. 2020;:102351
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Current study aimed to find the effects of curcumin on quality of life (QoL) in liver cirrhotic patients. DESIGN In this randomized double-masked placebo-controlled trial, 70 cases with liver cirrhosis aged 20-70 years were randomly divided into two groups to receive 1000 mg/day curcumin (n = 35) or placebo (n = 35) for 12 weeks. The health-related QoL (HRQoL) was assessed by CLDQ, LDSI 2.0, and SF-36. RESULTS Fifty-eight patients (28 in curcumin and 30 in placebo groups) finished the research. Compared with baseline, overall scores as well as most of CLDQ domains (e.g. Fatigue, Emotional Function, Worry, Abdominal Symptoms, and Systemic Symptoms) and the Physical and Mental health (Total) scores and most of SF-36 domains (e.g. Physical Functioning, Bodily Pain, Vitality, Social Functioning, and Mental Health) increased considerably (P < 0.05) after curcumin administration. Furthermore, curcumin reduced most of LDSI 2.0 domains (e.g. Itch, Joint pain, Pain in the right upper abdomen, Sleeping during the day, Decreased appetite, Depression, Fear of complication, Jaundice, Hindrance in Financial Affairs, Change in use of time, Decreased sexual interest, and Decreased sexual activity) significantly (P < 0.05). Significant differences were noticed between two groups in CLDQ domains and overall scores, LDSI 2.0 domains and overall scores, SF-36 Physical and Mental health (total) scores and all its domains scores (P < 0.05), adjusting for baseline values and disease duration. CONCLUSIONS Curcumin improved QoL in liver cirrhotic patients according to CLDQ, LDSI 2.0, and SF-36 domains. Additional studies are warranted to consider curcumin as a safe, accessible, and low-cost complementary therapeutic option in cirrhosis.
-
8.
Epigenetics/epigenomics and prevention by curcumin of early stages of inflammatory-driven colon cancer.
Wu, R, Wang, L, Yin, R, Hudlikar, R, Li, S, Kuo, HD, Peter, R, Sargsyan, D, Guo, Y, Liu, X, et al
Molecular carcinogenesis. 2020;(2):227-236
-
-
Free full text
-
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality in the US and worldwide. CRC is the second most common cancer-related death in both men and women globally. Chronic inflammation has been identified as one of the major risk factors of CRC. It may drive genetic and epigenetic/epigenomic alterations, such as DNA methylation, histone modification, and non-coding RNA regulation. Current prevention modalities for CRC are limited and some treatment regimens such as use the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug aspirin may have severe side effects, namely gastrointestinal ulceration and bleeding. Therefore, there is an urgent need of developing alternative strategies. Recently, increasing evidence suggests that several dietary cancer chemopreventive phytochemicals possess anti-inflammation and antioxidative stress activities, and may prevent cancers including CRC. Curcumin (CUR) is the yellow pigment that is found in the rhizomes of turmeric (Curcuma longa). Many studies have demonstrated that CUR exhibit strong anticancer, antioxidative stress, and anti-inflammatory activities by regulating signaling pathways, such as nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2, nuclear factor-κB, and epigenetics/epigenomics pathways of histones modifications, and DNA methylation. In this review, we will discuss the latest evidence in epigenetics/epigenomics alterations by CUR in CRC and their potential contribution in the prevention of CRC.
-
9.
Curcumin for depression: a meta-analysis.
Fusar-Poli, L, Vozza, L, Gabbiadini, A, Vanella, A, Concas, I, Tinacci, S, Petralia, A, Signorelli, MS, Aguglia, E
Critical reviews in food science and nutrition. 2020;(15):2643-2653
Abstract
Curcumin is the principal curcuminoid found in turmeric (Curcuma longa), a spice frequently used in Asian countries. Given its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, it has been hypothesized that curcumin might be effective in treating symptoms of a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders, such as depression. We conducted a systematic review following the PRISMA guidelines. In August 2019, we screened 930 articles, of which 9 were eligible for the meta-analysis. In 7 articles, participants were affected by major depressive disorder (MDD), while in other two they suffered from depression secondary to a medical condition. We found an overall significant effect of curcumin on depressive (10 studies, 531 participants, Hedge's g = -0.75, 95% CI -1.11 to -0.39, p < 0.001) and anxiety symptoms (5 studies, 284 participants, Hedge's g = -2.62, 95% CI -4.06 to -1.17, p < 0.001), with large effect size. Curcumin was generally well-tolerated by patients. Our findings suggest that curcumin, if added to standard care, might improve depressive and anxiety symptoms in people with depression. However, given the small sample size, our results should be cautiously interpreted. Further trials should be implemented, particularly in Western countries, where curcumin does not represent a usual component of dietary regimens.
-
10.
A pilot study of the effect of curcumin on epigenetic changes and DNA damage among patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trial.
Hariri, M, Gholami, A, Mirhafez, SR, Bidkhori, M, Sahebkar, A
Complementary therapies in medicine. 2020;:102447
Abstract
BACKGROUND The enhancement of oxidative stress in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients may cause mutation in DNA by deamination of cytosine to 5-hydroxyuracil or uracil. This study aimed to discover the effects of curcumin on NAFLD progress, DNA damage caused by oxidative stress, and promoter methylation of mismatch repair enzymes. MATERIAL AND METHODS in this study, 54 NAFLD patients were randomly devided into two groups, according to a double blind parallel design either phytosomal curcumin (250 mg/day) or placebo for 8 weeks. Fasting blood samples and anthropometric measures were taken twice, once at the baseline and once at the end of the study. Promoter methylation and 8-hydroxy-2' -deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) concentration as DNA damage mediator were measured by restriction enzymes and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. RESULT Analysis was performed on 44 patients. According to our between groups analysis, curcumin significantly reduced the methylation in MutL homolog 1 (MLH1) and MutS homolog 2 (MSH2) promoter regions. The within-group comparison revealed that anthropometric variables significantly decreased. However, the result of the between groups comparison indicated no significant changes in the anthropometric variables except for BMI. Liver enzymes and 8-OHdG did not significantly change at the end of the study, neither in curcumin group nor in placebo group. CONCLUSION Curcumin might be able to reduce the risk of mismatch base pair in DNA among the NAFLD patients. However, it did not change the DNA damage mediator and liver enzymes. For confirming these results, more studies with longer duration, more numbers of examined genes, higher dose of curcumin, and larger sample size are required.