RESUMEN
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The pathogenesis of inflammatory periodontal diseases essentially involves degradation of extracellular matrix molecules, and collagen breakdown and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are proteinases primarily involved in this process. It is known that doxycycline downregulates MMP activity. Curcumin has anti-inflammatory effect and also downregulates MMP activity. Thus, a study was conducted to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of curcumin by its inhibition of MMP-9 activity and compare the same with doxcycline, which has known anticollagenase activity. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Gingival tissue samples were obtained from thirty patients diagnosed with chronic periodontitis. The tissue extracts were treated with Curcumin and doxycycline and inhibition of MMP-9 analyzed by gelatinzymography. Gels obtained were stained with Coomassie Brilliant Blue, and enzymatic activities detected as bands of gelatinlysis against blue background. Relative MMP-9 levels were measured by scanning the clear zones and analyzing the percentage inhibition. RESULTS: Results showed that MMP-9 activity was significantly decreased by both the drugs. Curcumin showed 61.01% reduction in the MMP-9 activity at 1500 µg/ml concentration and doxycycline showed 59.58% reduction in the MMP-9 activity at 300 µg/ml concentration. CONCLUSION: The current study showed that curcumin has inhibitory effect on polymorphonuclear leukocyte-type MMP-9 involved in matrix degradation in periodontitis. Since Curcumin has a potent anti-inflammatory effect, it may have therapeutic potential as a host modulation agent in periodontal diseases.