Haridra (Curcuma longa)

Recent Research on Curcuma longa (Haridra)

• This study reports the induction of cellular senescence of human colon cancer cells HCT1 16 upon curcumin treatment. The study demonstrated a new antitumor activity of curcumin leading to cancer cell senescence and revealed the presence of a functional link between senescence and autophagy in curcumin-treated cells. Mosieniak G, Adamowicz M, Alster O, Jaskowiak H, Szczepankiewicz AA, Wilczynski GM, Ciechomska IA, Sikora E. Curcumin induces permanent growth arrest of human colon cancer cells: link between senescence and autophagy. Mech Ageing Dev. 2012 Jum; 133(6):444-55. doi: 10. 1016/ j. mad. 2012. 05. 004. Epub 2012 May 18.
• To explore the therapeutic potential of turmeric for epilepsy further, we analyzed its anticonvulsant activity in a larval zebrafish seizure assay. Researchers presented the first report on the anticonvulsant properties of bisabolene sesquiterpenoids and provide evidence that warrants further investigation toward the mechanistic understanding of their neuromodulator activity. Orellana- Paucar AM et all. Anticonvulsant activity of bisabolene sesquiterpenoids of Curcuma longa in zebrafish and mouse seizure models. Epilepsy Behav. 2012 May;24 (1): 14- 22. Epub 2012 Apr 5.
• In the present study, curcumin was observed to contain a high level of polyphenols and strong antioxidant activity. Then, the antihyperglycemic effect of curcumin was examined for various signaling pathways using C (2)C(12) mouse myoblast cells. Results indicate that curcumin can promote AMPK activation and glucose uptake with increased insulin sensitivity in muscle cells as a potential anti-diabetic therapeutic agent. Kang C, Kim E. Synergistic effect of curcumin and insulin on muscle cell glucose metabolism, Food Chem Toxicology 2010 Aug- Sep; 48 (8- 9) 2366- 73. Epub 2010 Jun 1.
• In the present study, researchers investigated the effects of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) and curcumin on behaviors and serotonergic receptor-coupled AC- cAMP signal pathway in rats. These results suggested that the potent antidepressant property of curcumin might be attributed to its improvement of the AC- cAMP pathway as well as CREB via suppressing central 5- HT (1A/ 1B/ 7) receptors in the CUMS rats. Li YC, Wang FM, Pan Y, Qiang LQ, Cheng G, Zhang WY, Kong LD. Antidepressant-like effects of curcumin on serotonergic receptor-coupled AC-cAMP pathway in chronic unpredictable mild stress of rats. Prog Neuropsychopharmacology Biol Psychiatry. 2009 Apr 30; 33 (3) A35- 49. Epub 2009 Jan 22.
• The purpose of the present study was to investigate the preventive effects of curcumin against acute pancreatitis (AP) induced by cerulean in mice and to elucidate the possible mechanism of curcumin action. Curcumin significantly decreased the pancreas injury and reversed the elevation of serum amylase, ALT, and AST activities. Yu VVG, Xu G, Ren GJ, Xu X, Yuan HQ, Qi XL, Tian KL. Preventive action of curcumin in experimental acute pancreatitis in the mouse. Indian J Med Res. 2011 Nov; 134 (5): 717- 24.
• Sodium curcumin stimulated bile flow by acting as a hydro cholagogue. Despite a decrease in the concentration of solids in the bile, the total amounts of solids excreted during the entire period of activity of the drug were found to increase. Curcumin seemed to combine the choleretic and hydrocholagogic action with antiseptic properties and thus would be an ideal therapeutic agent in conditions of the biliary systems and gall bladder due to suppressed staphylococcal infection. The drug had low toxicity (Ramprasad & Sirsi, 1956, 1957a).
• Curcuma powder has been found to increase appreciably the mucin content of gastric juice in rabbits and thus may be useful in gastric disorders (Mukherjee et al., 1961).
• It was found that the antibacterial activity of C. longa against gram-positive and gram-negative organisms was lesser in degree as compared to penicillin and streptomycin (Basu, 1971).
• Fresh extract of C. longa was found to possess considerable inhibitory action on contraction induced by acetylcholine, histamine, and barium chloride on isolated guinea pig ileum, rabbit intestine, and rat uterus (Sinha et al., 1970).
• The alcoholic and ethereal extracts showed a hypocholesterolemic effect (Pachauri & Mukherjee, 1970)
• The PE, alcoholic and aqueous extracts of rhizome showed 80%, 60%, and 100% antifertility activity in albino rats at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight respectively (Garg, 1971).
• Curcumin inhibited carrageenin-induced edema in rats and mice. The regression line in both cases paralleled that of cortisone but not of phenyl butanone. It also inhibited formalin-induced acute edema in mice and subacute arthritis in rats. Curcumin inhibited pellet-induced granuloma formation in rats (Srimal et al., 1971).
• The PE extract and two of its fractions i.e., A (viscous oil) and B (crystalline solid) were found to have significant anti-inflammatory activity in rats which was compared favorably with hydrocortisone acetate and phenylbutazone. The fraction reduced the histamine content of the rat skin to about 50% of the control voles, whereas hydrocortisone acetate decreased the histamine content to 58% in the controls. Both fractions reduced the SGOT & SGPT levels in formalin-induced arthritic rats. The extract did not show any significant toxic effects (Arora et al., 1970, 1971).
• Curcumin (7.5 mg/kg) caused a sharp but transient fall of BP which was not blocked by atropine, antihistamines, or ß- blockers. On the isolated heart of guinea pig, curcumin revealed a depressant effect (Sinha et al., 1972).
• Its anti-inflammatory activity is investigated regarding the inhibition of activated proteases responsible for acute inflammatory processes. The volatile oil of the plant was found to inhibit trypsin as well as hyaluronidase enzymes (Tripathi et al., 1973).
• A clinical trial with C. longa was conducted in 114 patients with respiratory diseases (71 cases of bronchitis, 13 cases of bronchiectasis, 18 cases of bronchial asthma, and 12 cases of tropical eosinophilia). The drug was administered in gradually increasing doses from 4-32 g daily for 15-45 days. Significant improvement in signs and symptoms was observed (Shankar, 1974).
• The volatile oil given orally (0.01 ml/kg) was compared with cortisone acetate (10 mg/kg) against adjuvant arthritis in rats. The drug was found to have a significant effect in suppressing the primary swelling on the 3rd day of the injection of adjuvant as also the secondary swelling which appeared on the 13^th day (Chandra & Gupta, 1972).
• The anti-inflammatory effect of volatile oil is greater than that of hydrocortisone (Katare, 1974).
• Three curcuminoids (curcumin I, I, III) were compared for their cytotoxic, tumor-reducing, and antioxidant activities. Curcumin III was found to be more active than the other two in short-term cytotoxic activity but inhibited the growth of tumor cells (L929) in the culture at a similar concentration (IC 50-1 microg. / ml). The curcuminoids also inhibited lipid peroxidation. The amount needed for 50% inhibition was 20, 14, and 11 microg. /ml for curcumin I, I & III respectively (Anton R.J. et al., 1992).
• The hypolipidemic activity of C. longa (50% ethanol) extract was studied in hyperlipidemic rabbits. The increased cholesterol levels were brought to normal by the administration of C. longa. Similarly, phospholipids and triglyceride levels were also reduced (Purohit & Daradka, 1999).
• Oral administration of curcumin to rats caused a significant reversal in lipid peroxidation, and brain lipids and produced enhancement of glutathione, a non-enzymatic antioxidant in ethanol intoxicated rats, revealing the anti-oxidative and hypolipidemic action of curcumin responsible for its protective role against ethanol-induced brain injury (Ramakrishnan et al., 1999).