Description
Curcuministheactivecomponentofturmeric,amemberofthegingerfamily.Curcuminisadiarylheptanoid;itdisplaysawidevarietyofhealthbenefits,includingantioxidative,anticancerchemotherapeutic,antifungal,antibiotic,andatheroscleroticprophylacticactivities.Inananimalmodelofrunning-inducedoxidativedamage,curcumindecreasesNADPH-oxidasemRNAandhydrogenperoxidelevels,decreasingoxidativestress.CurcuminincreaseslevelsofAPOBEC1,increasingbeneficialApoB-48anddecreasingharmfulApoB-100,facilitatingincreasedclearanceoflipidparticlesfromplasmainvitro.Incellularmodelsofcancer,curcuminactivatesmammaliansterile20-likekinase1(MST1),activatingJNKandinducingapoptosis.Incellularmodelsofglioma,curcumindownregulatesexpressionofsonichedgehog(Shh),Smo,GLI1,cyclinD1,andBcl-2,inhibitingproliferationandmigrationandincreasingapoptosis;inrelatedanimalmodels,curcumindecreasestumorvolumeandprolongssurvival.InananimalmodelofAlzheimer’sdiseaseutilizingtheMorriswatermaze,curcuminrescuescognitivedeficitsbyinhibitingcollapsingresponsemediatorprotein2(CRMP2)andprotectingagainstamyloid-β(Aβ)-inducedhippocampaldamage.ThiscompoundinhibitsfMLP-andLPS-inducedsuppressionofneutrophilapoptosisbypreventingactivationofNF-κBanddecreasingproductionofpro-inflammatorymediatorssuchasIL-6,IL-8,MIP-1α,andMIP-1β.Curcuminalsodisplaysantibacterialandantifungalactivities,inhibitingcellwallbiosynthesisofCandidaalbicansinvitro.