• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.39 no.8
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• pp.756-761
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• 2006

Curcumin has been known for its anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects on several cancer cells. We examined the inhibitory effects of curcumin on cancer cell adhesion, motility, invasion and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) activity in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells. MDA-MB-231 cells were cultured with 0, 5, 10 or $20{\mu}M$ of curcumin. Curcumin significantly inhibited the adhesion of cancer cells to the fibronectin at $20{\mu}M$ and suppressed the motility and invasion of cancer cells at all concentrations. Also, the MMP-9 activity was inhibited by curcumin, but MMP-9 protein amounts were not affected. Our data indicate that curcumin inhibits motility, invasion and MMP-9 activity of MDA-MB-231 cells. Therefore, curcumin may contribute to the potential beneficial food component to prevent the cancer metastasis in human breast cancer.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.71-79
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• 2000

Curcumin, the yellow pigment in turmeric, curry and mustard, has anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic activities. In this study; we investigated the hypocholesterolemic and anti-atherogenic effect of curcumin in rabbits. Hypercholesterolemia was induced by feeding high cholesterol diet to male rabbits for 30 days, and the animals were then fed high cholesterol diet containing 0.1% (w/w) or 0.5% (w/w) curcumin for additional 30 days. Supplementation of 0.l% curcumin tended to lower serum total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol levels and inhibit serum lipid peroxidation. In the 0.5% curcumin-supplemented group, serum total cholesterol was significantly lowered by 11.7%, LDL-cholesterol by 12.8% and lipid peroxidation by 47.9% compared to the control group. Hepatic cholesterol and triglyceride contents were also significantly lowered by 50.6% and 37.4%, respectively compared to the control group. Lipid staining of the arteries isolated from the curcumin-treated rabbits showed that curcumin significantly decreased formation of fatty streaks and atheromatous plaques on the intima of the arteries. These results demonstrated that curcumin lowered serum cholesterol concentration, hepatic cholesterol and triglyceride contents, and accumulation of cholesterol in the artery These cholesterol lowering effects of curcumin, together with its anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities, may play some important roles in preventing atherosclerosis.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.387-392
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• 2013

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of trasdermal delivery of the curcumin gel on healing of the rats' dorsum wounds. Carbopol 934 and propylene glycol were used to prepare gels containing 1% curcumin. Curcumin gel was evaluated for various properties such as antioxidant, cell viability, anti-inflammatory, in vivo wound healing. The free radical scavenging activity using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) was 50% at 12.5 ppm concentration. Inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells by curcumin gel. In the curcumin gel-treated group, the re-epithelialization in wounds was significantly increased compared to the control group throughout the experimental period. These results suggested that curcumin may be helpful for the promotion of wound healing.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.1 s.81
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• pp.12-17
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• 2007

Curcumin is a natural phenolic yellow curry spice, derived from the tumeric, which has been used for the treatment of diseases associated with oxidative stress and inflammation. Curcumin is known to have both anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. These properties can be beneficial to protect the brain from the neurodegenerative diseases. We now report the neuroprotective effects of curcumin pretreatment in primary hippocampal neurons to glutamate-induced excitotoxicity. Pretreatment of embryonic mouse hippocampal cell cultures with low does of curcumin protected neurons against glutamate-induced death, however, this neuroprotection was not correlated with the modulation of oxidative stress. Interestingly, high dose of curcumin showed the cytotoxicity in primary cultured hippocampal neurons. Immunoblot analyses showed that levels of stress response. protein HSP70 were significantly elevated in neurons exposed to low dose of curcumin, whereas levels of cleaved PARP were increased in neurons exposed to high dose of curcumin. These findings show that curcumin can modulate neuronal responses to glutamate, and suggest possible use of curcumin and related compounds in the prevention and/or treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.191-195
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• 2010

There is an increasing interest in curcumin (Curcuma longa L.) as a cardiovascular disease (CVD) protective agent via decreased blood total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-cholesterol) level. The aim of this study was to investigate further the potential mechanism in the hypocholesterolemic effect of curcumin by measuring cholesterol 7a-hydroxylase (CYP7A1), a rate limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of bile acid from cholesterol, at the mRNA level. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a 45% high fat diet or same diet supplemented with curcumin (0.1% wt/wt) for 8 weeks. The curcumin diet significantly decreased serum triglyceride (TG) by 27%, total cholesterol (TC) by 33.8%, and LDL-cholesterol by 56%, respectively as compared to control group. The curcumin-supplemented diet also significantly lowered the atherogenic index (AI) by 48% as compared to control group. Hepatic TG level was significantly reduced by 41% in rats fed with curcumin-supplemented diet in comparison with control group (P < 0.05). Conversely, the curcumin diet significantly increased fecal TG and TC. The curcumin diet up-regulated hepatic CYP7A1 mRNA level by 2.16-fold, compared to control group p (P < 0.05). These findings suggested that the increases in the CYP7A1 gene expression may partially account for the hypocholesterolemic effect of curcumin.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.393-401
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• 2011

Natural Curcumin belongs to Zingiber Officinale Roscoe was known to possess natural odor, natural taste, natural color, and other pharmaceutical & chemical characteristics. Natural Curcumin extract was made to use ethanol as a solvent was to show a yellow color having state of solid powder and an active component. Natural Curcumin extract tested pharmaceutical & chemical experiment to dilute in curcumin 1%-water solution. Curcumin extract tested antimicrobial experiment using microbe, and tested dye experiment using fiber. Some conclusions in the result of characteristics experiment was obtained as follow. The result of antimicrobial experiment showed that the growth of staphylococcus aureus (ATCC-001) and aspergillus niger (ATCC-002) as microbes decreased according to passage of time. This phenomenon could know that Curcumin compoment showed influence to antimicrobial effect. Also, the result of dye experiment showed that cotton and sick with fiber dyeing dyed in direction of dark yellow color. This phenomenon could know that Curcumin extract showed influence to dyeing effect in observation of optical electron microscope(OEM.) The result of instrument analysis ascertained inorganic components of K(53.300ppm), Na(1.150ppm), Ca(0.711ppm), Ti(0.351ppm), Li(0.256ppm), Cu(0.233ppm) etcs from Curcumin component with ICP/OES, and ascertained organic components of propanoic acid(1.859), benzene(10.814), phenol(14.194) etcs from Curcumin component with GC/MSD.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.3865-3869
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• 2016

Curcumin, a polyphenolic compound isolated from the rhizomes of an herbaceous perennial plant, Curcuma longa, is known to possess anticancerous activity. However, the mechanism of apoptosis induction in cancers differs. In this study, we have (1) investigated the anticancerous activity of curcumin on REH and RS4;11 leukemia cells and (2) studied the chemo-sensitizing potential of curcumin for doxorubicin, a drug presently used for leukemia treatment. It was found that curcumin induced a dose dependent decrease in cell viability because of apoptosis induction as visualized by annexin V-FITC/ PI staining. Curcumin-induced apoptosis of leukemia cells was mediated by PARP-1 cleavage. An increased level of caspase-3, apoptosis inducing factor (AIF), cleaved PARP-1 and decreased level of Bcl2 was observed in leukemia cells after 24h of curcumin treatment. In addition, curcumin at doses lower than the $IC_{50}$ value significantly enhanced doxorubicin induced cell death. Therefore, we conclude that curcumin induces apoptosis in leukemia cells via PARP-1 mediated caspase-3 dependent pathway and further may act as a potential chemo-sensitizing agent for doxorubicin. Our study highlights the chemo-preventive and chemo-sensitizing role of curcumin.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.6925-6928
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• 2013

Background: Despite numerous useful anticancer properties of curcumin, its utility is limited due to its hydrophobic structure. In this study, we investigated the comparative antiproliferative effect of PAMAM encapsulating curcumin with naked curcumin on the T47D breast cancer cell line. Materials and Methods: Cytotoxic effects of PAMAM dendrimers encapsulating curcumin and curcumin alone were investigated by MTT assay. After treating cells with different concentrations of both curcumin alone and curcumin encapsulated for 24h, telomerase activity was determined by TRAP assay. Results: While PAMAM dendrimers encapsulating curcumin had no cytotoxicity on cancer cells, they decreased the $IC_{50}$ for proliferation and also increased the inhibitory effect on telomerase activity. Conclusions: Considering the non-toxicity in addition to effectiveness for enhancing curcumin anticancer properties, dendrimers could be considered good therapeutic vehicles for this hydrophobic agent.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.1029-1034
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• 2007

Curcumin (diferuloyl methane), originated rhizomes of Curcuma longa L. has been suggested as an anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic agent. In the present study, modulation of cytotoxic effects of curcumin on HeLa cells by different types of antioxidants was investigated. Cytotoxic effects of curcumin were significantly enhanced in the presence of superoxide dismutase (SOD) by decreasing $IC_{50}$ to 15.4 from $26.0\;{\mu}M$ after 24 hr incubation; the activity was not altered by catalase. The effect of curcumin was significantly less pronounced in the presence of 4 mM N-acetylcysteine (NAC). Low concentration (<1 mM) of NAC, however, increased the efficacy of curcumin. Cysteine and ${\beta}$-mercaptoethanol that have a thiol group, showed the similar biphasic patterns as NAC for modulating curcumin cytotoxicity, which was, however, constantly enhanced by ascorbic acid, a non-thiol antioxidant. In the presence of SOD, ascorbic acid, and 0.5 mM NAC, cellular levels of curcumin were significantly increased by 31-66%, whereas 4 mM NAC decreased the level. The present results indicate that thiol reducing agents showed a biphasic effect in modulating cytotoxicity of curcumin; it is likely that their thiol group is reactive with curcumin especially at high concentrations.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.461-466
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• 2013

Objective : Although curcumin has a protective effect on bone remodeling, appropriate therapeutic concentrations of curcumin are not well known as therapeutic drugs for osteoporosis. The purpose of this study was to compare the bone sparing effect of treatment of low-dose and high-dose curcumin after ovariectomy in rats. Methods : Forty female Sprague-Dawley rats underwent either a sham operation (the sham group) or bilateral ovariectomy (OVX). The ovariectomized animals were randomly distributed among three groups; untreated OVX group, low-dose (10 mg/kg) curcumin administered group, and high-dose (50 mg/kg) curcumin group. At 4 and 8 weeks after surgery, serum biochemical markers of bone turnover were analyzed. Bone histomorphometric parameters of the 4th lumbar vertebrae were determined by micro-computed tomography (CT). In addition, mechanical strength was determined by a three-point bending test. Results : High-dose curcumin group showed significantly lower osteocalcin, alkaline phosphatase, and the telopeptide fragment of type I collagen C-terminus concentration at 4 and 8 weeks compared with the untreated OVX group as well as low-dose curcumin group. In the analyses of micro-CT scans of 4th lumbar vertebrae, the high-dose curcumin treated group showed a significant increase in bone mineral densities (p=0.028) and cortical bone mineral densities (p=0.036) compared with the low-dose curcumin treated group. Only high-dose curcumin treated group had a significant increase of mechanical strength compared with the untreated OVX group (p=0.015). Conclusion : The present study results demonstrat that a high-dose curcumin has therapeutic advantages over a low-dose curcumin of an antiresorptive effect on bone remodeling and improving bone mechanical strength.