Antidiabetic Properties of Curcumin: Insights on New Mechanisms.

Plant extracts have been used to treat a wide range of human diseases. Curcumin, a bioactive polyphenol derived from Curcuma longa L., exhibits therapeutic effects against diabetes while only negligible adverse effects have been observed. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin are the main and well-recognized pharmacological effects that might explain its antidiabetic effects. Additionally, curcumin may regulate novel signaling molecules and enzymes involved in the pathophysiology of diabetes, including glucagon-like peptide-1, dipeptidyl peptidase-4, glucose transporters, alpha-glycosidase, alpha-amylase, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ). Recent findings from in vitro and in vivo studies on novel signaling pathways involved in the potential beneficial effects of curcumin for the treatment of diabetes are discussed in this review.

Protective effect of Zataria multiflora Boiss. and its main compound, rosmarinic acid, against malathion induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in HepG2 cells.

Malathion (MT) is one of the most widely used organophosphorus insecticides which induces toxicity through oxidative stress induction, free radical production and acetylcholinesterase inhibition. In this work, HepG2 cells were used to determine the effect of Zataria multiflora methanolic extract (MEZM) and rosmarinic acid (RA) on MT-induced cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. Total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) were determined and plant was further standardized based on RA content using HPLC method. The cultured HepG2 cells were pretreated with MEZM (1 µg/ml) and RA (0.1 µg/ml) for 4 h and exposed to MT (100 µM). Cell viability, oxidative stress biomarkers, ROS production, and cell death were examined after 24 h. The amount of RA was determined 73.48 mg/g dried extract. IC50 values of MEZM and MT were 368.56 µg/ml and 99.43 µM, respectively. Pretreatment with MEZM and RA decreased the cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, and cell percentage in the late apoptosis and necrosis stages induced by MT. There was no significant difference between MEZM and RA effects. The present study showed the significant protective effects of MEZM against toxicity induced by MT in hepatocytes which can be attributed to the plant antioxidant constituents including RA.

Cytotoxicity evaluation of curcumin-loaded affibody-decorated liposomes against breast cancerous cell lines.

Curcumin is known as an effective anticancer herbal medicine but unfortunately, its bioavailability is poor which necessitate efforts for developing more efficient and specific delivery systems. Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER 2) due to its overexpression in various types of cancers, is demonstrated to be a good candidate as a target for anticancer therapy. In this study, cytotoxicity of curcumin encapsulated in ZHER2:342 Affibody-decorated liposome was investigated against SKBR3 and MCF-7 cancerous cell lines. Curcumin-containing liposomes were prepared from soybeans lecetin and cholesterol by thin-film hydration method. Affibody ZHER2:342 molecules via C-terminal cysteine residue were conjugated covalently to the prepared liposomes. Particle size analysis was performed using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Curcumin loading was measured using UV-Vis spectrophotometry and cytotoxic activity of curcumin formulations against cancerous cell lines was investigated by MTT assay. Induction of apoptosis was investigated using flow cytometry through Annexin V staining. Particle analysis showed the formation of spherical liposomes with a mean diameter of about 150 nm. Cytotoxic activity of curcumin was improved by its encapsulation in both liposomes and affibody-decorated liposomes. The Annexin V staining indicated the induction of apoptosis by affibody-decorated liposomes in both MCF-7 and SKBR3 cells. Decoration of curcumin-loaded liposomes with affibody ZHER2:342 may improve curcumin apoptotic function independently of HER2 expression level.

Effects of curcuminoids on inflammatory status in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD) is a highly prevalent disease that is closely associated with several cardiometabolic complications. The potential anti-inflammatory role of curcuminoids that have already been reported to reduce hepatic steatosis, in patients with NAFLD was explored in this study. METHODS: This double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial was conducted for a period of 8 weeks in patients with NAFLD. Subjects (n = 55) were randomly allocated to receive either curcuminoids or placebo. The curcuminoids group received one capsule containing 500 mg curcuminoids (plus 5 mg piperine to increase intestinal absorption) per day for 8 weeks and the control group received matched placebo capsules for the same period. Liver ultrasonography was performed to assess the severity of hepatic steatosis at baseline and the study end. Serum levels of cytokines including interleukin-1α, interleukin-1ß, interleukin-2, interleukin-4, interleukin-6, interleukin-8, interleukin-10, tumor necrosis factor-α, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, interferon γ, vascular endothelial growth factor and epidermal growth factor were measured before and after the intervention. RESULTS: The two groups were comparable in demographic features at baseline. The results showed that supplementation with curcuminoids could decrease weight compared to the placebo group (p = 0.016) in patients with NAFLD. Curcuminoids supplementation improved the severity of NAFLD according to the ultrasound results (p = 0.002). Moreover, serum concentrations of TNF-α (p = 0.024), MCP-1 (p = 0.008) and EGF (p = 0.0001) were improved by curcuminoids in NAFLD patients. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study showed that curcumin supplementation can improve serum levels of inflammatory cytokines in subjects with NAFLD and this might be at least partly responsible for the anti-steatotic effects of curcuminoids.

The Yin and Yang of carbon nanomaterials in atherosclerosis.

With unique characteristics such as high surface area, capacity of various functionalization, low weight, high conductivity, thermal and chemical stability, and free radical scavenging, carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), fullerene, graphene (oxide), carbon nanohorns (CNHs), and their derivatives have increasingly been utilized in nanomedicine and biomedicine. On the one hand, owing to ever-increasing applications of CNMs in technological and industrial fields as well as presence of combustion-derived CNMs in the ambient air, the skepticism has risen over the adverse effects of CNMs on human being. The influences of CNMs on cardiovascular system and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) such as atherosclerosis, of which consequences are ischemic heart disease and ischemic stroke, as the main causes of death, is of paramount importance. In this regard, several studies have been devoted to specify the biomedical applications and cardiovascular toxicity of CNMs. Therefore, the aim of this review is to specify the roles and applications of various CNMs in atherosclerosis, and also identify the key role playing parameters in cardiovascular toxicity of CNMs so as to be a clue for prospective deployment of CNMs.

Protective effects of curcumin against aflatoxicosis: A comprehensive review.

Aflatoxicosis is a deleterious medical condition that results from aflatoxins (AFs) or ochratoxins (OTs). Contamination with these toxins exerts detrimental effects on the liver, kidneys, reproductive organs, and also on immunological and cardiovascular systems. Aflatoxicosis is closely associated with overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as key contributors to oxidative and nitrosative stress responses, and subsequent damages to lipids, proteins, RNA, and DNA. The main target organ for AF toxicity is the liver, where DNA adducts, degranulation of endoplasmic reticulum, increased hepatic lipid peroxide, GSH depletion, mitochondrial dysfunction, and reduction of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants are manifestations of aflatoxicosis. Curcuma longa L. (turmeric) is a medicinal plant widely utilized all over the world for culinary and phytomedical purposes. Considering the antioxidant characteristic of curcumin, the main active component of turmeric, this review is intended to critically summarize the available evidence supporting possible effectiveness of curcumin against aflatoxicosis. Curcumin can serve as a promising candidate for attenuation of the adverse consequences of aflatoxicosis, acting mainly through intrinsic antioxidant effects aroused from its structure, modulation of the immune system as reflected by interleukin-1ß and transforming growth factor-ß, and interfering with AF's biotransformation by cytochrome P450 isoenzymes CYP1A, CYP3A, CYP2A, CYP2B, and CYP2C.

Presence of lead in opium.

Opium addiction is a common form of addiction in Middle East countries such as Iran. Recently several reports suggested some kinds of pathologic findings such as abdominal pain, nephropathy, and anemia in opium addict patients. Such pathologic findings suggest lead poisoning in the patients. In this study, the concentration of lead in 10 opium samples was evaluated. The mean concentration of lead in the opium samples was 1.88 ppm. This may explain some of the pathologic findings found in addict patients. The authors would suggest further investigations to evaluate the lead concentration in opium addicts' sera and also routine screening for lead poisoning in opium addict patients.