1: JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 2006 Jan-Feb;30(1):45-51.

Comment in:
JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 2006 Jan-Feb;30(1):61-2.

Curcumin, an atoxic antioxidant and natural NFkappaB, cyclooxygenase-2,
lipooxygenase, and inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitor: a shield against
acute and chronic diseases.

Bengmark S.

Institute of Hepatology, University College, London Medical School, London,
United Kingdom. s.bengmark@ucl.ac.uk

BACKGROUND: The world suffers a tsunami of chronic diseases, and a typhoon of
acute illnesses, many of which are associated with the inappropriate or
exaggerated activation of genes involved in inflammation. Finding therapeutic
agents which can modulate the inflammatory reaction is the highest priority in
medical research today. Drugs developed by the pharmaceutical industry have thus
far been associated with toxicity and side effects, which is why natural
substances are of increasing interest. METHODS: A literature search (PubMed)
showed almost 1500 papers dealing with curcumin, most from recent years. All
available abstracts were read. Approximately 300 full papers were reviewed.
RESULTS: Curcumin, a component of turmeric, has been shown to be non-toxic, to
have antioxidant activity, and to inhibit such mediators of inflammation as
NFkappaB, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), lipooxygenase (LOX), and inducible nitric
oxide synthase (iNOS). Significant preventive and/or curative effects have been
observed in experimental animal models of a number of diseases, including
arteriosclerosis, cancer, diabetes, respiratory, hepatic, pancreatic, intestinal
and gastric diseases, neurodegenerative and eye diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Turmeric,
an approved food additive, or its component curcumin, has shown surprisingly
beneficial effects in experimental studies of acute and chronic diseases
characterized by an exaggerated inflammatory reaction. There is ample evidence
to support its clinical use, both as a prevention and a treatment. Several
natural substances have greater antioxidant effects than conventional vitamins,
including various polyphenols, flavonoids and curcumenoids. Natural substances
are worth further exploration both experimentally and clinically.

PMID: 16387899 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]