Safety and Efficacy of Turmeric (Curcuma longa) Extract and Curcumin Supplements in Musculoskeletal Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Context: Turmeric is a well-known herb that has been used in many traditional medicinal systems since ancient times. Turmeric roots contain hydrophobic polyphenols called curcuminoids, which have proven anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects and are shown to be beneficial for the management of musculoskeletal health. Various products containing curcumin or turmeric extract are commercially available. Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) is intended to evaluate the effective dose, safety, and efficacy of commercial turmeric extract and curcumin supplements in musculoskeletal health. Design: The research team performed a systematic literature search of PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library databases and conducted a meta-analysis according to PRISMA guidelines. Setting: Authors from India and USA contributed to this systematic review and meta-analysis. Results: The research team analyzed 21 prospective, randomized clinical studies, of which seven studies were focused on skeletal muscle health and fourteen on joint health. Statistical heterogeneity was established based on the results of heterogeneity analysis of a Chi-square (χ2) value for Cochran's Q statistic of 29.3765 for musculoskeletal and 3666.80 for joint health studies (P < .0001 for both analyses). Therefore, the random effects model was used. The χ2 value of the random effects model was 216.5545 for skeletal muscle health studies and 1400.65 for joint health studies, which was statistically significant with P < .0001 for both analyses. Conclusions: Turmeric extract and curcumin supplements can be effective adjuvants for the management of musculoskeletal health, with a low incidence of AEs. The water-dispersible turmeric extract, WDTE60N, at a dose of 250 mg per day, was found to be more effective than other curcumin products. However, the studies included in the analysis were conducted using diverse doses and treatment durations. Further evaluation using comparisons in future clinical trials can establish the appropriate effective dose of curcumin supplements for the overall maintenance of musculoskeletal health.

Efficacy and Safety of TurmXTRA® 60N in Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness in Healthy, Recreationally Active Subjects: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Background: Delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS) and its physiological consequences influenced an individual's adherence to an exercise routine. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of TurmXTRA® 60N (WDTE60N) on DOMS compared to placebo in recreationally active healthy subjects. Methods: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel-group study enrolled 30 healthy and recreationally active subjects (average age: 28.23 ± 4.20 years) and randomized them to receive WDTE60N (WDTE60N group; n = 15) or placebo (placebo group; n = 15). Study treatments were initiated 29 days before the eccentric exercise and were continued for 4 days after the exercise. The primary endpoint was the change in pain intensity measured by the visual analog scale (VAS) at the end of study treatment (at 96 hours after eccentric exercise) from baseline (measured immediately after exercise). Results: The VAS score indicated that subjects from the WDTE60N group reported significantly less pain after eccentric exercise compared to the placebo group (AUC0-96h: 286.8 ± 46.7 vs. 460 ± 40.5, respectively; p < 0.0001). Well-being status was assessed using the adapted version of the Hooper and MacKinnon questionnaire and was calculated as individual and cumulative scores of the domains (fatigue, mood, general muscle soreness, sleep quality, and stress) that demonstrated improvement in all domains and in overall well-being in the WDTE60N group compared to the placebo group (p < 0.0001). Serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was significantly lower in the WDTE60N group compared to the placebo group (AUC0-96h: 23623.7 ± 2532.0 vs. 26138.6 ± 3669.5, respectively; p=0.0446). Conclusion: Intake of WDTE60N before and after eccentric exercise significantly reduced subjective perception of muscle soreness and serum LDH activity and increased the psychological well-being in recreationally active subjects.

A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial Assessing Efficacy and Safety of a Novel Low-Dose Turmeric Extract Formulation in Healthy Adults with Chronic Knee Pain.

BACKGROUND: Knee pain causes functional limitations, eventually compromising the quality of life. We evaluated the efficacy of our water-dispersible turmeric formulation (60% natural curcuminoids, TurmXTRA 60N®-WDTE60N), which exhibited better PK profile at low dose (250 mg) than standard turmeric extract, in alleviating symptoms of chronic knee pain. METHODS: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, subjects received either 250 mg WDTE60N capsule (150 mg curcuminoids; n = 53) or appearance-matched placebo capsule (n = 53) once daily for 90 days. Primary endpoint was change in pain score on the visual analogue scale (VAS) after 80-m fast-paced walk test. RESULTS: A total of 96 subjects completed the study. WDTE60N reduced VAS score from baseline (5.4 ± 0.9) to day 90 (3.8 ± 0.8) with greater mean reduction than placebo (-1.5 ± 0.7 vs -0.6 ± 0.8, p < 0.0001; 2.5 times). It also significantly improved the time taken for 80-m fast-paced walk test and 9-step stair-climb test; and improved all biomarkers compared to placebo (p > 0.05). Three adverse events occurred but were unrelated to study products. CONCLUSION: WDTE60N 250 mg administered once daily for 3 months, alleviated knee pain, improved joint function in healthy subjects with chronic knee pain, was well tolerated and safe.