Source of Phytochemical : Curcuma longa rhizome.

Pharmacology :

Deters et al studied the ability of Curcumin to prevent Cyclosporin-induced reduction of Biliary Bilirubin and Cholesterol excretion and on Biliary Excretion of Cyclosporin and its metabolities in the bile fistula model in rats¹.B Lal and co workers at the Department of Opthalmology, K.G. Medical College, Lucknow, India investigated the role of Curcumin in Idiopathic Inflammatory Orbital Pseudotumors in a 22 month study of 8 patients. The patients were administered oral doses of 375mg/3 times/day and follow ups were conducted up to a period of 2 years at 3 monthly intervals. The investigators reported that 5 patients completed the study out of which 4 recovered completely². V Rajakrishnan and co workers have reported on the Neuroprotective role of Curcumin from Curcuma longa on Ethanol-induced Brain Damage. Orallly adiminstered Curcumin in rats caused a significant reversal in lipid peroxidation, brain lipids and produced enhancement of glutathione, a non-enzymatic antioxidant in ethanol intoxicated rats, revealing that the antioxidant and hypolipidaemic action of Curcumin is responsible for its protective role against ethanol induced brain injury3. Kim et al at the College of Pharmacy, Duksung Women’s University, Seoul, Korea have reported on the inhibition of invasion and induction of apoptosis by Curcumin in H-ras-transformed MCF10A human breast epithelial cells⁴.

1. Michael Deters, Claudia Siegers, Wolfram Hansel, Klaus-Peter Schneider, Gerhard Hennighusen, Planta Medica 66(2000) 429-434.
2. B.Lal, A.K. Kapoor, P.K. Agrawal, O.P. Asthana and R.C. Srimal; Phytotherapy research 14, 443-447(2000)
3. V.Rajakrishnan, P. Vishanathan, K.N. Rajasekharan & Venugopal P. Menon; Phytotherapy Research 13, 571-574(1999)
4. Kim, M.S; Kang, H.J., Moon, A.;Archives of Pharmacal Res., v.24(4):p.349-354,2001.