 |
| Flowering Turmeric plant |
What is Turmeric?
Turmeric is a powder ground from a root utilized for medicinal purposes and spicing food for thousands of years. Recent research has established it has anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
Among so many other benefits, researchers have also discovered that turmeric helps protect against the accumulation of amyloid plaque among brain cells. This relates directly to Alzheimer's disease and nerve cell damage.
The Turmeric herb is scientifically known as Curcuma longa.
Turmeric is a perennial plant with rhizomes (underground stems) that produce bright orange-yellow roots. It has long, lance-shaped leaves and spikes of yellow flowers.
Turmeric is native to South Asia, particularly India and Indonesia, and is cultivated in tropical regions worldwide. It thrives in warm, humid climates and well-drained soil.
 |
| Turmeric root is ground into a powder |
Primary Compounds in Turmeric
Curcuminoids: The primary active compounds in turmeric, including curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin. Curcumin is the most studied and bioactive compound.
Curcumin: Known for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer properties.
Turmerones: Found in turmeric essential oil, turmerones have potential neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects.
Gingerols: Found in small amounts in turmeric, gingerols contribute to its aroma and flavor.
Volatile Oils: Including tumerone, atlantone, and zingiberene, which contribute to turmeric's aroma and flavor.
Health Benefits of Turmeric
Anti-inflammatory Effects
Antioxidant Activity
Pain Relief
Digestive Health
Heart Health
Brain Health
Cancer Prevention
Traditional Uses Around the World
Turmeric has been used for thousands of years in Ayurvedic medicine for its healing properties, including treating wounds, digestive disorders, and inflammatory conditions.
Traditional Chinese medicine uses turmeric for its anti-inflammatory and digestive benefits, often in combination with other herbs.
Turmeric is used in various culinary dishes and traditional remedies across Southeast Asian countries for its flavor and health benefits.
Let's now take a look at the scientific research proving many of these and other medicinal benefits of turmeric:
Turmeric and Type-2 Diabetes Patients
Turmeric is derived from the roots and stems (rhizomes) of the Curcuma longa plant. It is related to the ginger plant and like ginger, readily grows in tropical locations. Turmeric has been utilized for thousands of years among traditional diets and medicines among Asians and Indonesians.
Turmeric is also considered a spice as well as a medicine – long treasured for its many medicinal benefits in Chinese Medicine, Kampo Medicine and Ayurveda.
These holistic medicines have been clinically prescribing turmeric for many centuries. Turmeric’s central constituent, curcumin, has been found to be a potent antioxidant and has been used for a variety of inflammatory conditions.
Turmeric slows glucose release
Researchers from India’s University of Pune found a constituent in turmeric called Bisdemethoxycurcumin, which blocks alpha-amylase produced in the pancreas. Because it inhibits this enzyme, it slows the breakdown of carbohydrates into simple sugars, which pushes blood glucose levels.
As such, the researchers found this to be one of turmeric’s main mechanisms for reducing the hyperglycemia associated with type 2 diabetes.
Turmeric reduces diabetic circulation problems
The ability of turmeric to treat type 2 diabetes was also shown in a clinical study from Italy’s University of Piemonte Orientale.
The researchers tested type 2 diabetic patients for four weeks by testing diabetic patients with microangiopathy (damage to capillary walls) and edema (swelling).
The researchers gave 25 patients a turmeric extract (curcumin) product while another control group of 25 were given conventional diabetes treatment.
The patients given the turmeric had significantly improved blood flow, reduced damage to blood vessels, and reduced edema after the four-week treatment. The conventional treatment group saw no improvement.
They concluded that turmeric was beneficial for microcirculation among diabetic patients.
Microcirculation damage among diabetic patients is caused by the damage and inflammation to tiny blood vessels when the blood is overtaxed by glucose.
This produces a significant level of lipid peroxidation – forming free radicals that damage the blood vessel walls.
Turmeric increases insulin production
Researchers from Sweden’s Skåne University Medical School have found, in a study of 14 healthy people, that turmeric increases the pancreas’ secretion of insulin.
The study, conducted at the Skåne University Hospital, gave fourteen healthy human subjects oral glucose tolerance tests together with either placebo capsules or capsules of turmeric powder. Each subject took a total of 6 grams of turmeric powder.
The oral glucose tolerance tests were given after the capsules were given, at 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes and 120 minutes.
After 15 minutes, the turmeric group had significantly higher levels of insulin in the bloodstream. At 30 minutes, levels were the highest, with the turmeric group averaging more than 60% higher insulin levels than the placebo group. The turmeric group maintained higher insulin levels until the 120-minute mark was achieved.
The researchers concluded:
“The results show that the ingestion of 6 grams Circuma longa increased postprandial serum insulin concentration without affecting plasma glucose in healthy subjects.”
Other research has found that turmeric has positive effects upon glycemic control and diabetes, primarily in animal and cell research. This is the first human study illustrating the relationship between insulin and turmeric.
Diabetes is directly linked with insulin secretion and glycemic control.
Turmeric reduces triglycerides
Higher levels of triglycerides are often associated with type 2 diabetes.
In a study published in the Journal of Nutrition by Penn State University researchers, found that turmeric and cinnamon consumed prior to a fatty meal reduced triglyceride levels by 31% in overweight men.
This study added 14 grams of a spice blend including turmeric and cinnamon to a meal eaten by six overweight men. They compared the effects to those following consuming a meal without the spices. This study also found that the subjects’ antioxidant levels were also significantly increased by the meal with the spice blend.
Turmeric helps prevent Alzheimer's and Parkinson's
A new review of research from India’s National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences reveals that curcumin crosses the blood-brain barrier to protect nerves from damage – this is called being “neuroprotective.”
The researchers stated that, “different experimental models of Parkinson’s disease strongly support the clinical application of curcumin.”
Another study, this one from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, found that curcumin protects the brain’s cells from reactive oxygen species, and the A53T alpha-synuclein protein mutant, implicated in neuron damage found in both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
The research also found that curcumin reduced mitochondrial damage among brain cells – another occurrence in Alzheimer’s.
In another recent study, this from India’s Central Food Technological Research Institute, researchers have found that curcumin-glucoside halts the formation of fibrils among nerve cells by binding to alpha-synuclein proteins.
When this protein is expressed outside of the hippocampus and other inner brain regions, it can result in damage among brain cells.
Meanwhile, University of Kentucky researchers have found that curcumin reduced free radical oxidative stress damage among the brain and nerve cells, slowing down damage from and protecting against the progression of the buildup of amyloid β-peptides (Aβ) and neurofibrillary tangles among the brain and nerve cells – evident among Alzheimer’s disease patients.
In a 2011 study, medical researchers from Thailand’s Mahidol University found that curcumin prevents neurotoxicity by blocking 6-Hydroxydopamine damage to nerve and brain cells. This is the pathway said to occur among Parkinson’s disease patients.
These researchers also found that curcumin protected nerve cells from free radical damage and inhibited the p53 cell-death sequence following brain cell phosphorylation – another progression found in Parkinson’s.
These and other studies all point to one general lesson: Turmeric helps protect the brain and nerves and may well help prevent Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
Curcumin Inhibits Zika, HIV, Herpes and Other Viruses
More recently, research has confirmed that the central medicinal compound in turmeric – curcumin – blocks the growth of the zika virus, hepatitis, herpes, chikungunya virus, influenza-A, HIV and HPV.
These are all serious viruses. Collectively, they affect hundreds of millions of people around the world.
Some of these viruses are transmitted by mosquitoes. For example, zika and the chikungunya viruses are transmitted by the Aedes species of mosquito.
Researchers later found that zika is linked with birth defects such as microcephaly. Zika virus has recently spread from South and Central America into Southern states in the U.S., including Texas and Florida.
The chikungunya virus is also spreading in South and Central America. This virus will cause joint pain, high fevers, rashes and sometimes even death.
There are no vaccines for either zika or chikungunya viruses. There are also no real treatments either.
One of the problems with these viruses is due to the viral cell being enveloped. They have glycoprotein shells that make them more durable and difficult to breakdown by the body’s immune system.
As far as fighting these types of enveloped viruses: We have also discussed research on several antiviral herbs:
• Shatterstone herb
• Lectins
• Thyme
• Ginger
• Andrographis
Turmeric extract inhibits enveloped viruses
To this list we can now add turmeric as a potent antiviral herb. Research has found that turmeric’s central extracted compound, curcumin, blocks the growth of zika and chikungunya and other enveloped viruses.
Researchers from France’s prestigious Pasteur Institute researched the ability of curcumin to inhibit these viruses. They found that not only does curcumin inhibit the viruses, but it interfered with the virus’ ability to continue infecting cells.
Curcumin also accomplished this in a dose-dependent manner. This means that the larger the dose, the more inhibition was exerted and vice versa. This is considered the gold standard in determining effectiveness of a compound.
Furthermore, the researchers found that the curcumin interfered with the virus’ ability to bind to cells. A virus must bind to a cell in order to infect it. This binding also helps the virus transmit itself to other parts of the body. The virus will often utilize the cell’s organs and even DNA to help it spread.
Turmeric’s central compound curcumin blocks these by blocking the virus’ ability to bind to cells in the first place.
The researchers confirmed their findings:
“We observed that direct treatment of virus with curcumin reduced infectivity of virus in a dose- and time-dependent manner for these enveloped viruses, as well as vesicular stomatitis virus.”
The vesicular stomatitis virus belongs in the same family as rabies. It is also an enveloped virus, and it has been particularly hard to prevent its spread among animals.
The researchers also mentioned that this latest study adds to the list of viruses that curcumin has been found to inhibit:
“Together, these results expand the family of viruses sensitive to curcumin and provide a mechanism of action for curcumin’s effect on these enveloped viruses.”
Let’s discuss some of these other viruses inhibited by curcumin.
Curcumin inhibits hepatitis
A study published in Lancet, the British Journal of Medicine, found that turmeric’s curcumin blocks the entry of hepatitis C virus into human liver cells. This is a critical issue because hepatitis C infects the liver and liver cells.
This study found that curcumin disturbed the outer envelope of the viral cells. The researchers stated:
“Membrane fluidity experiments indicated that curcumin affected the fluidity of the HCV envelope resulting in impairment of viral binding and fusion.”
The researchers also concluded:
“Turmeric curcumin inhibits HCV entry independently of the genotype and in primary human hepatocytes by affecting membrane fluidity thereby impairing virus binding and fusion.”
A study from Israel’s The Institute of Gastroenterology and Liver Disease at the Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center studied curcumin and the hepatitis B virus. They found that that curcumin inhibits hepatitis B by stopping replication gene expression.
The Israeli researchers commented:
“We suggest curcumin as a host targeted therapy for HBV infection that may complement current virus-specific therapies.”
Curcumin inhibits influenza-A virus
Research from Taiwan’s Graduate Institute of Microbiology and Public Health at the National Chung Hsing University studied turmeric and curcumin on influenza type A. They found that curcumin inhibits this influenza – one of the major flu viruses.
The researchers found that it interferes with the virus’ haemagglutination activity. This means that it blocks the virus’ ability to bind onto red blood cells.
Curcumin inhibits HIV-1 virus
As far back as 1995, researchers discovered that curcumin somehow inhibited the HIV virus. Since then, dozens of studies have confirmed this ability. Newer research has also determined that curcumin will prevent the virus’ infection at the site.
Researchers from Canada’s McMaster University found that applying curcumin onto genital skin cells prevented infection from HIV across the mucosal membranes.
Researchers from India’s National Institute of Immunology found that curcumin inhibited HIV-1 production by infected cells – preventing the infection from spreading. They also found that curcumin breaks down a protein that binds with the virus – leaving the virus unable to be viable.
Clinical research on curcumin and HIV is limited. A 1995 study of 40 AIDS patients didn’t find decreased viral loads, but the patients said they felt better after 8 weeks of taking the curcumin.
Researchers since have noted that curcumin’s effects may be more subtle and take longer to see reduced viral loads.
Meanwhile, other studies have since concluded curcumin inhibits HIV infection and replication.
Curcumin inhibits herpes
Researchers from Michigan State University studied curcumin and herpes simplex-1. They found that curcumin blocked the virus by interfering in the virus’ early gene expression. This gene expression is required in order for the virus to replicate among cells. The researchers concluded:
“Curcumin is a potent compound with various biological properties. We have shown that curcumin significantly affects HSV-1 IE gene expression which thereby diminishes the ability of the virus to launch the lytic infectious cycle.”
McMaster University researchers also found that curcumin blocked the spread of herpes simplex-1 and herpes simplex-2 viruses. The research found that curcumin prevented replication of the herpes viruses among infected T-cells.
Human papillomavirus
Research from India’s Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute studied 287 women who were HVP-positive. The researchers randomly divided the women into four groups.
One group was given vaginal Basant cream containing curcumin. Another group was treated with vaginal placebo cream. Another group was treated with curcumin vaginal capsules. The fourth group was given placebo capsules.
The researchers found that 87 percent of the women treated with the Basant-curcumin cream were cleared of HPV. The curcumin capsule-treated women experienced a 81 percent HPV clearance rate.
Turmeric Ointment for Oral Lichen Planus
Lichen planus can affect the face, the mouth, the hands and feet and practically any other skin surface of the body. It is difficult to treat, and the cause is often mysterious. The lesions may continue for years or may periodically emerge – sometimes in different places.
Researchers from King George’s Medical University in India studied 10 patients with chronic lichen planus for three months. The patients were given a turmeric ointment and applied the ointment onto the affected areas in and around the mouth twice a day for the three-month period.
The patients were diagnosed and measured for thongprasom scores – which measures the amount of skin that the Lichen planus affects – before the study began and every 15 days during the study.
The researchers also measured the patients’ pain through VAS scores – the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), which graphically charts the amount of relative pain drawn from questionnaires.
The turmeric ointment had dramatic results
After the first week, nine of the patients had mild clinical improvement and one had no improvement. After the second week, nine patients had moderate improvement, and one had mild improvement.
After the fourth week, nine of the patients had marked improvement and one had moderate clinical improvement. After the third month of treatment, nine of the ten patients were clinically healed, and one had marked clinical improvement.
As for symptoms, nine out of ten had burning sensations after the first week of treatment, nine had redness, all ten had ulcerations and all ten had Wickham striae – white lines that appear around the lesions.
After the second week, those symptoms were seen among five, two, eight and eight respectively. After the fourth week, none of the patients had burning symptoms, and none had redness. Five still had ulcerations and five still had Wickham strai.
But after the third month of treatment, none of the patients had burning sensations, none had redness, none had ulceration, and none had Wickham strai.
Among the VAS pain scores, all the patients scored between two and four on the pain scale, and at the end of the three months, that pain went down to zero or close to it among all the patients.
The treatment also resulted in no adverse side effects.
How turmeric ointment is made
The ointment was derived from the rhizomes of Curcuma longa L. – turmeric – while the plant was flowering.
To make the extract, the researchers ground the rhizome/root parts in a mill and soaked in 10 parts alcohol to one part powder for 48 hours. The alcohol-turmeric mix was then evaporated using a rotary evaporator – removing the alcohol – and then refrigerated.
Many commercial turmeric extract powders are made with similar processes by supplement manufacturers. An extract powder that has been standardized to curcumin is consistent with the quality used in the study.
Once in powder form, the turmeric powder was mixed with glycerin to make the ointment. Other carriers such as olive oil or aloe vera could also be used to create such an ointment. Aloe vera was found to benefit oral lichen planus in other research.
Turmeric’s anti-mutagenic and immune-boosting properties
Turmeric contains numerous medicinal constituents – many of which have shown to be medicinal by themselves. These include turmerin, zingiberene and a number of curcuminoids such as curcumin.
Turmeric’s antioxidant and curative properties are well known. But what is less known is its ability to alter inflammatory gene expression among the immune system. This includes inhibiting COX-2 gene expression and inhibiting tumor growth.
In a study that illustrated this, researchers from the University of Hong Kong found that curcumin inhibited the growth of tongue cancer cells.
This ability to moderate and stimulate the immune system is a good match for lichen planus because the disorder appears to relate to damaged T-cell responses among the skin cells. Apparently, the T-cells begin to attack the skin cells as though they are foreign in lichen planus.
Osteoarthritis treated by curcumin
In a 2018 study, researchers tested 201 patients with osteoarthritis. They were aged 40 to 70 years old. The researchers split the patients into groups. Some were given a placebo, and others were given 500 milligrams of curcumin three times per day for 12 weeks. A third group was tested with a combination of curcumin and boswellic acids – from the Ayurvedic herb, boswellia.
After the 12 weeks, the researchers found that the curcumin supplement significantly improved osteoarthritis symptoms among the patients. The curcumin supplement reduced symptoms by over five points on the WOMAC osteoarthritis total index, compared to those taking the placebo.
They also had significantly reduced joint pain and less morning stiffness compared to the placebo group. The curcumin group also had better results than the curcumin/boswellia group.
A 2018 review of research on curcumin and Boswellia for osteoarthritis investigated other research on these two herbal extracts, The researchers, from the Tufts Medical Center, found 11 randomized studies that tested the combination with osteoarthritis.
The researchers found that the combination showed success for reducing osteoarthritis symptoms. They compared the effects of the treatments to those of NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). We should add that NSAIDS also typically have a number of side effects.
The researchers also found that the curcumin and Boswellia treatments were safe. They also suggested that more research is conducted. We note from the previous study that curcumin improved osteoarthritis symptoms better than the curcumin-boswellia combination.
Curcumin studied with rheumatoid arthritis
The research tested 45 randomized patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. The patients took either 500 milligrams of curcumin twice per day, 50 milligrams of diclofenac sodium twice per day, or both.
After eight weeks, the patients in the curcumin-alone group scored higher on Disease Activity Scores, and had the same or higher reductions in joint tenderness and swelling scores than the other groups. Joint tenderness and swelling symptoms were qualified under the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) standards.
The curcumin patients also reported no adverse side effects during the treatment period. Meanwhile, 14% of the diclofenac sodium patients had to withdraw from the study due to adverse side effects.
“Our study provides the first evidence for the safety and superiority of curcumin treatment in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis,” the researchers concluded.
Arthritis now affects about 21 million people in the United States according to the Centers of Disease Control. This number is expected to triple within the next two decades, despite numerous arthritis drugs. Arthritis is a leading cause of disability.
Turmeric inhibits Cancer
But research on turmeric and curcumin in cancer has surged over the past few years. With a resounding conclusion that turmeric and its central compound curcumin, inhibits the growth of numerous types of cancers.
Here is a list of cancers that turmeric and cucumin have been shown to block:
- Breast cancers
- Pancreatic cancers
- Bladder cancers
- Liver cancers
- Prostate cancer
- Bone cancers
- Cervical cancers
- Lymphatic cancers
- Human papilloma virus (HPV)
- Colorectal cancers
- Lung cancers
- Brain cancers
- Oral cancers
- Throat cancers
- Leukemia
Most of these studies have been laboratory studies. These include taking human cancer cell lines and exposing them to either turmeric or curcumin.
These studies have found that turmeric and its phytochemical compound, curcumin, inhibt the growth of cancer cells. Human cancer cell lines have been collected over the years from human cancer patients.
Apoptosis is the death of a cell. In other words, the cancer cells were killed by the curcumin and the catechins. The mechanism observed by the researchers was the fragmentation of the cells’ nucleus and the subsequent breakdown of their DNA. The ability to kill off certain cells is called cytotoxicity.
This doesn’t mean there haven’t been human studies on turmeric and cancer patients. Most of these, however, have been what is called adjuvant therapy. This means the patients were also being treated with radiation, chemotherapy or other conventional cancer treatments.
For example, a 2014 study tested 80 cancer patients who underwent standard chemotherapy. Half the patients also took a turmeric supplement in addition to their chemo treatments.
The researchers found that the turmeric supplement increased the quality of life for the chemo patients. They also helped patients suppress systemic inflammation – which in turn helped them fight their tumors.
In a 2015 study from the UK’s University of Leicester, researchers treated 33 colorectal cancer patients who had inoperable liver tumors. Twelve of the patients received turmeric in addition to chemotherapy, with doses up to two grams a day.
The researchers found that the turmeric increased the effectiveness of the chemotherapy. It also proved to be safe and tolerable when taken with the 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin chemotherapy.
In a 2010 study from France’s University of Auvergne, researchers gave 14 breast cancer patients curcumin doses in periodic cycles with their chemotherapy treatments. They found that 6,000 milligrams per day for seven days in a row was the most effective dose. They found the curcumin dosing resulted in “encouraging efficacy.”
There is ample evidence to conclude that turmeric helps prevent cancer. But one of the most telling studies was a study from India’s Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute. The research tested people in a region of West Bengal that were exposed to heightened levels of arsenic in the groundwater.
The researchers found that those who consumed more turmeric over a three month period were significantly less likely to suffer from DNA damage, free radical damage, and lipid peroxidation compared to those who were not.
DNA damage is a direct cause of mutation of the DNA, which sets up the right conditions for cancer cell production. Free radicals can also damage the DNA, in turn producing mutations and cancer.
Turmeric apparently inhibits these mechanisms. In addition to blocking the growth of cancer cells, turmeric apparently helps prevent cancer cells in the first place.
Curcumin’s mysterious nature
As evidenced above, many studies have confirmed that curcumin has the ability to help remediate symptoms among patients infected with viral conditions. This adds to the many other benefits of curcumin.
The ability of curcumin to affect so many conditions has been a mystery among clinical researchers:
“How a single agent can possess these diverse effects has been an enigma over the years, both for basic scientists and clinicians.”
How much curcumin does turmeric contain?
We should note that all of the above research has tested curcumin and not turmeric per se. A pure turmeric powder made from turmeric roots (Curcuma longa) contains only a small fraction of curcumin. Furthermore, turmeric is an ingredient of curry powder. Curry powder will contain even less curcumin.
Turmeric contains about 2 to 4 percent curcumin. A 2006 study from Jordan’s Hashemite University analyzed 28 products that were labeled either as turmeric or curry powder.
The researchers found that pure turmeric powder had the highest curcumin content. The average curcumin content among the different turmeric powders was 3.14 percent by weight.
Turmeric with cooking or supplementation?
Turmeric is great as a spice – for use in all sorts of dishes. However, a spoonful once or twice a week probably won’t have much effect. Ayurvedic cooking, for example, uses the spice with practically every meal – three times a day. This would be difficult for must people, so a turmeric supplement – standardized to curcumin – is an option.
REFERENCES:
James MI, Iwuji C, Irving G, Karmokar A, Higgins JA, Griffin-Teal N, Thomas A, Greaves P, Cai H, Patel SR, Morgan B, Dennison A, Metcalfe M, Garcea G, Lloyd DM, Berry DP, Steward WP, Howells LM, Brown K. Curcumin inhibits cancer stem cell phenotypes in ex vivo models of colorectal liver metastases, and is clinically safe and tolerable in combination with FOLFOX chemotherapy. Cancer Lett. 2015 Aug 10;364(2):135-41. doi: 10.1016/j.canlet.2015.05.005.
Irving GR, Iwuji CO, Morgan B, Berry DP, Steward WP, Thomas A, Brown K, Howells LM. Combining curcumin with standard care FOLFOX chemotherapy in patients with inoperable colorectal cancer (CUFOX): study protocol for a randomised control trial. Trials. 2015 Mar 24;16:110. doi: 10.1186/s13063-015-0641-1.
Panahi Y, Saadat A, Beiraghdar F, Sahebkar A. Adjuvant therapy with bioavailability-boosted curcuminoids suppresses systemic inflammation and improves quality of life in patients with solid tumors: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Phytother Res. 2014 Oct;28(10):1461-7. doi: 10.1002/ptr.5149.
Ghalaut VS, Sangwan L, Dahiya K, Ghalaut PS, Dhankhar R, Saharan R. Effect of imatinib therapy with and without turmeric powder on nitric oxide levels in chronic myeloid leukemia. J Oncol Pharm Pract. 2012 Jun;18(2):186-90. doi: 10.1177/1078155211416530.
Biswas J, Sinha D, Mukherjee S, Roy S, Siddiqi M, Roy M. Curcumin protects DNA damage in a chronically arsenic-exposed population of West Bengal. Hum Exp Toxicol. 2010 Jun;29(6):513-24. doi: 10.1177/0960327109359020.
Bayet-Robert M, Kwiatkowski F, Leheurteur M, Gachon F, Planchat E, Abrial C, Mouret-Reynier MA, Durando X, Barthomeuf C, Chollet P. Phase I dose escalation trial of docetaxel plus curcumin in patients with advanced and metastatic breast cancer. Cancer Biol Ther. 2010 Jan;9(1):8-14.
placebo-controlled study. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2018 Jan 9;18(1):7. doi:10.1186/s12906-017-2062-z.
Bannuru RR, Osani MC, Al-Eid F, Wang C. Efficacy of curcumin and Boswellia for knee osteoarthritis: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2018 Mar 10. pii: S0049-0172(18)30002-7. doi: 10.1016/j.semarthrit.2018.03.001.
Chandran B, Goel A. A Randomized, Pilot Study to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of Curcumin in Patients with Active Rheumatoid Arthritis. Phytother Res. 2012 Mar 9. doi: 10.1002/ptr.4639.
Tsang RK, Tang WW, Gao W, Ho WK, Chan JY, Wei WI, Wong TS. Curcumin inhibits tongue carcinoma cells migration and invasion through downregulation of matrix metallopeptidase 10. Cancer Invest. 2012 Aug;30(7):503-12. doi: 10.3109/07357907.2012.691192.
Singh V, Pal M, Gupta S, Tiwari SK, Malkunje L, Das S. Turmeric – A new treatment option for lichen planus: A pilot study. Natl J Maxillofac Surg. 2013 Jul;4(2):198-201. doi: 10.4103/0975-5950.127651.
Mounce BC, Cesaro T, Carrau L, Vallet T, Vignuzzi M. Curcumin inhibits Zika and chikungunya virus infection by inhibiting cell binding. Antiviral Res. 2017 Mar 23. pii: S0166-3542(16)30748-3. doi: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2017.03.014.
Misni N, Nor ZM, Ahmad R. Repellent effect of microencapsulated essential oil in lotion formulation against mosquito bites. J Vector Borne Dis. 2017 Jan-Mar;54(1):44-53.
Ali A, Banerjea AC. Curcumin inhibits HIV-1 by promoting Tat protein degradation. Sci Rep. 2016 Jun 10;6:27539. doi: 10.1038/srep27539.
Ferreira VH, Nazli A, Dizzell SE, Mueller K, Kaushic C. The anti-inflammatory activity of curcumin protects the genital mucosal epithelial barrier from disruption and blocks replication of HIV-1 and HSV-2. PLoS One. 2015 Apr 9;10(4):e0124903. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0124903. eCollection 2015 Apr 9.
Anggakusuma, Colpitts CC, Schang LM, Rachmawati H, Frentzen A, Pfaender S, Behrendt P, Brown RJ, Bankwitz D, Steinmann J, Ott M, Meuleman P, Rice CM, Ploss A, Pietschmann T, Steinmann E. Turmeric curcumin inhibits entry of all hepatitis C virus genotypes into human liver cells. Gut. 2014 Jul;63(7):1137-49.
Basu P, Dutta S, Begum R, Mittal S, Dutta PD, Bharti AC, Panda CK, Biswas J, Dey B, Talwar GP, Das BC. Clearance of cervical human papillomavirus infection by topical application of curcumin and curcumin containing polyherbal cream: a phase II randomized controlled study. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2013;14(10):5753-9.
Chen TY, Chen DY, Wen HW, Ou JL, Chiou SS, Chen JM, Wong ML, Hsu WL. Inhibition of enveloped viruses by curcumin. PLoS One. 2013 May 1;8(5):e62482. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0062482.
Gupta SC, Patchva S, Aggarwal BB. Therapeutic roles of curcumin: lessons learned from clinical trials. AAPS J. 2013 Jan;15(1):195-218. doi: 10.1208/s12248-012-9432-8.
Prasad S, Tyagi AK. Curcumin and its analogues: a potential natural compound against HIV infection and AIDS. Food Funct. 2015 Nov;6(11):3412-9. doi: 10.1039/c5fo00485c.
Jordan WC, Drew CR. Curcumin–a natural herb with anti-HIV activity. J Natl Med Assoc. 1996 Jun;88(6):333.
Ou JL, Mizushina Y, Wang SY, Chuang DY, Nadar M, Hsu WL. Structure-activity relationship analysis of curcumin analogues on anti-influenza virus activity. FEBS J. 2013 Nov;280(22):5829-40. doi: 10.1111/febs.12503.
Helmenstine AM. Natural Mosquito Repellents. ThoughtCo. July 8, 2016
James JS. Curcumin: clinical trial finds no antiviral effect. AIDS Treat News. 1996 Mar 1;(no 242):1-2.
CDC. Zika Virus. Centers for Disease Control
CDC. Chikungunya Nowcast for the Americas. Centers for Disease Control
Mazumder A, Raghavan K, Weinstein J, Kohn KW, Pommier Y. Inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 integrase by curcumin. Biochem Pharmacol. 1995 Apr 18;49(8):1165-70.
Rechtman MM, Har-Noy O, Bar-Yishay I, Fishman S, Adamovich Y, Shaul Y, Halpern Z, Shlomai A. Curcumin inhibits hepatitis B virus via down-regulation of the metabolic coactivator PGC-1alpha. FEBS Lett. 2010 Jun 3;584(11):2485-90. doi: 10.1016/j.febslet.2010.04.067. Epub 2010 Apr 29. Erratum in: FEBS Lett. 2010 Jul 16;584(14):3239.
Chen DY, Shien JH, Tiley L, Chiou SS, Wang SY, et al. Curcumin inhibits influenza virus infection and haemagglutination activity. Food Chem 2010 119: 1346–1351
Kutluay SB, Doroghazi J, Roemer ME, Triezenberg SJ. Curcumin inhibits herpes simplex virus immediate-early gene expression by a mechanism independent of p300/CBP histone acetyltransferase activity. Virology. 2008 Apr 10;373(2):239-47. doi: 10.1016/j.virol.2007.11.028.
Tayyem RF, Heath DD, Al-Delaimy WK, Rock CL. Curcumin content of turmeric and curry powders. Nutr Cancer. 2006;55(2):126-31.
Svedberg MM, Rahman O, Hall H. Preclinical studies of potential amyloid binding PET/SPECT ligands in Alzheimer’s disease. Nucl Med Biol. 2012 Jan 4.
Mythri RB, Bharath MS. Curcumin: A Potential Neuroprotective Agent in Parkinson’s Disease. Curr Pharm Des. 2012 Jan 1.
Song JX, Sze SC, Ng TB, Lee CK, Leung GP, Shaw PC, Tong Y, Zhang YB. Anti-Parkinsonian drug discovery from herbal medicines: What have we got from neurotoxic models? J Ethnopharmacol. 2011 Dec 29.
Gadad BS, Subramanya PK, Pullabhatla S, Shantharam IS, Rao KS. Curcumin-glucoside, A Novel Synthetic Derivative of Curcumin, Inhibits α-synuclein Oligomer in Parkinson’s Disease. Curr Pharm Des. 2012 Jan 1.
Mizwicki MT, Menegaz D, Zhang J, Barrientos-Durán A, Tse S, Cashman JR, Griffin PR, Fiala M. Genomic and Nongenomic Signaling Induced by 1α,25(OH)2-Vitamin D3 Promotes the Recovery of Amyloid-β Phagocytosis by Alzheimer’s Disease Macrophages. J Alzheimers Dis. 2011 Dec 29.
Mythri RB, Harish G, Dubey SK, Misra K, Bharath MM. Glutamoyl diester of the dietary polyphenol curcumin offers improved protection against peroxynitrite-mediated nitrosative stress and damage of brain mitochondria in vitro: implications for Parkinson’s disease. Mol Cell Biochem. 2011 Jan;347(1-2):135-43.
Wang MS, Boddapati S, Emadi S, Sierks MR. Curcumin reduces alpha-synuclein induced cytotoxicity in Parkinson’s disease cell model. BMC Neurosci. 2010 Apr 30;11:57.
Ponnusamy S, Zinjarde S, Bhargava S, Rajamohanan PR, Ravikumar A. Discovering Bisdemethoxycurcumin from Curcuma longa rhizome for type-2 diabetes. Food Chem. 2012 Dec 15;135(4):2638-42. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2012.06.110.
Appendino G, Belcaro G, Cornelli U, Luzzi R, Togni S, Dugall M, Cesarone MR, Feragalli B, Ippolito E, Errichi BM, Pellegrini L, Ledda A, Ricci A, Bavera P, Hosoi M, Stuard S, Corsi M, Errichi S, Gizzi G. Potential role of curcumin phytosome in diabetic microangiopathy. A pilot study. Panminerva Med. 2011 Sep;53(3 Suppl 1):43-9.
Wickenberg J, Ingemansson SL, Hlebowicz J. Effects of Turmeric on postprandial plasma glucose and insulin in healthy subjects. Nutr J. 2010 Oct 12;9:43.
Skulas-Ray AC, Kris-Etherton PM, Teeter DL, Chen CY, Vanden Heuvel JP, West SG. A high antioxidant spice blend attenuates postprandial insulin and triglyceride responses and increases some plasma measures of antioxidant activity in healthy, overweight men. J Nutr. 2011 Aug;141(8):1451-7.
Kocaadam B, Şanlier N. Curcumin, an active component of turmeric (Curcuma longa), and its effects on health. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2017 Sep 2;57(13):2889-2895. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2015.1077195.
Abd El-Hack ME, El-Saadony MT, Swelum AA, Arif M, Abo Ghanima MM, Shukry M, Noreldin A, Taha AE, El-Tarabily KA. Curcumin, the active substance of turmeric: its effects on health and ways to improve its bioavailability. J Sci Food Agric. 2021 Nov;101(14):5747-5762. doi: 10.1002/jsfa.11372.
Hay E, Lucariello A, Contieri M, Esposito T, De Luca A, Guerra G, Perna A. Therapeutic effects of turmeric in several diseases: An overview. Chem Biol Interact. 2019 Sep 1;310:108729. doi: 10.1016/j.cbi.2019.108729.
Kotha RR, Luthria DL. Curcumin: Biological, Pharmaceutical, Nutraceutical, and Analytical Aspects. Molecules. 2019 Aug 13;24(16):2930. doi: 10.3390/molecules24162930.
Ross SM. Turmeric (Curcuma longa): A Review of Its Multifunction Health Benefits. Holist Nurs Pract. 2024 May-Jun 01;38(3):179-181. doi: 10.1097/HNP.0000000000000649.