This document provides information on the therapeutic effects of curcumin. It discusses curcumin's anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, analgesic, antimicrobial, and anti-cancer properties. It also covers curcumin's effects on conditions like peptic ulcers, acne, aging-associated diseases, and its hepatoprotective and brain protective effects. The document further discusses the pharmacokinetics, dosage forms, uses, contraindications, and adverse effects of curcumin.

1. SAASTRA COLLEGE OF PHARMACEUTICAL EDUCATION AND RESEARCH
Near Varigonda Jwalamukhi Temple, Muttukur Road, Kakupalli,
Nellore - 524 311 Andhra Pradesh, India
Affiliated to
JAWAHARLAL NEHRU TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITYANANTAPUR, ANANTAPURAMU
THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS OF CURCUMIN
STUDENT GUIDE
M.BHARATH DR. SK ERSHADUL HAQUE
S.M.DHEERAJ Associate Professor,
PHARM-D Pharmaceutics

2. CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS
PHARMACOKINETICS
DOSAGE FORMS
USES
CONTRAINDICATIONS
PRECAUTIONS
ADVERSE EFFECTS
REFERENCES

3. 3

4. INTRODUCTION :
Curcumin as a herbal product has gained popularity due to their huge benefits
Such as
 Better patient tolerance
 Long history of use
 Fewer side effects
 Less expensive
Furthermore, plant sources have provided good evidences for the treatment of a
wide variety of diseases. Natural derived products play a vital role in the
prevention and treatment Of ;
 Inflammatory diseases
 Aging associated diseases
 Neurodegenerative diseases
 Oncological diseasesSkin diseses
 Metabolic disorders
 GIT related diseses
 Micobial diseases

5. TURMERIC (CURCUMA LONGA )
 Turmeric is a spice derived from the rhizomes of CURCUMA lONGA, which
is a member of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae).
 Rhizomes are horizontal underground stems that send out shoots as well as
roots.
 The bright yellow colour of turmeric comes mainly from fat-soluble
polyphenolic pigments known as CURCUMINIODS.
 CURCUMIN is the principal curcuminiod found in turmeric is generally
considered it’s most active constituent.
 Other curcuminiods found in turmeric includes DEMETHOXYCURCUMIN
and BISDEMETHOXYCURCUMIN
 Turmeric ,the golden spice also known as INDIAN SAFFRON is used as a
traditional medicine in southeast Asia.1 5

6. THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS:
 Anti inflammatory
 Anti oxidant
 Analgesic
 Antimicrobial
 Anti-cancer
 Activity against peptic ulcers and dyspepsia
 Antiacne
 Aging associated diseses
 Hepatoprotector
 Brain protector 6

7. ANTI INFLAMMATORY ACTIVITY :
INFLAMMATION :
A localized physical condition in which part of the body becomes reddened,
swollen, hot and often painful , especially as a reaction to injury or infection .
INFALAMMATORY DISESES
 Asthma
 Chronic peptic ulcersTuberculosis
 Rheumatoid arthritis
 Inflammatory bowel dises
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8. MECHANISIM OF ACTION:
CURCUMIN INHIBITS
 Biosynthesis of inflammatory prostaglandins from arachidonic acid .
 Neutrophil function during inflammation state
 Topically applied CURCUMIN can counteract inflammation and
irritation associated with inflammatory skin conditions and allergies.
ANIMAL RESEARCH
 Rheumatoid arthritis
 pancreatitis
 Ulcerative colitis
CLINICAL RESEARCH
 Osteoarthritis
 Post surgery inflammation
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9. ANTI OXIDANT ACTIVITY :
FREE RADICAL MEDIATED CELL INJURY
 Free radicals are chemical species that have a single unpaired electrons in
outer orbit.
 Free radicals initiate autocatalytic reaction
 It mainly occurs in repurfusion of the ischemic Cell
 There are many causes like chemical injuries,ionization,hyperoxia,cellular
aging ,atherosclerogenesis .
 There are some radicals like superoxide radicals,hydroxyl ions,peroxide
ions,very destructive to cells which cause lipid peroxidation,oxidation of
proteins ,DNA damage,cytoskelton damage .
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10. MECHANISIM OF ACTION:
 Water and fat soluble extracts of turmeric and it’s CURCUMIN components
exhibit strong antioxidant activity,comparable to vit-C and vit-E.
 A study of ischemia in the feline heart demonstrated that CURCUMIN
pretreatment decresed ischemia induced changes in the heart.
 An invitro study measuring the effect of CURCUMIN on endothelial heme
oxygenase-1,an inducibel stress protien ,was conducted utilizing bovine aortic
endothelial cells.Incubation (18 hours)with CURCUMIN resulted in enhanced
cellular resistance to oxidattive damage.
 Curucumin acts as a free radical scavanger to shows it’s strong antioxidant activity.
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11. ANALGESIC ACTIVITY:
 ANALGESIC is defined as drug which acts to relieve pain
 An Analgesic or pain killer is any member of the group of drugs used to
achieve analgesia,i.e.pain relief.
 Analgesic drugs act in various ways on the peripheral and central nervous
system to give analgesia effect .
 When compared with analgin and acettoaminophen ,CURCUMIN showed
noticeble Analgesic activity in animal models (wistar rats).
 The present studies conclude that CURCUMA lONGA extracts at 100 and 200
mg/kg by single oral dose treatment had Analgesic effect but not pyretic
eeffect
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12. ANTIMICROBIALACTIVITY:
 Turmeric extract and essential oil of curcuma lONGA inhibits the growth of a
variety of bacteria ,parasites and pathogenic fungi.
 Animal research:
 A study of chicks infected with caecal parasite Eimer maxima demonstrated
that diet supplement with 1% turmeric resulted in a reduction in small
intestinal lesion scores and weight gain
 CURCUMIN found to have moderate effect on plasmodium falciparum and
leishmania major organisms.
12

13. ANTICARCINOGENIC ACTIVITY:
 Animal studies involving rats and mice as well as in vitro studies utilising
human cell lines,have demonstrated curcuminiods ability to inhibit
carcinogenesis at three stages
 Tumour promotion
 Angiogenesis
 Tumour growth
 MOA
 THE ANTICARCINOGENIC effect of turmeric and CURCUMIN are due to
 Direct antioxidant activity
 Free radical scavenging effects
 Idirectly increasing glutathione levels there by aiding in hepatic
detoxification of mutagens and carcinogens and inhibiting nitrosamine
Formation.
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14. ACTIVITY AGAINST PEPTIC ULCERS
 Peptic ulcer :
 A sore that develops on the lining of the oesophagus, stomach or
small intestine.
 Animal research:
 Oral administration of water or methanol extract of drug
significantly decresed 2 gastric secretions and increased mucin
content of the gastric juice 3
 The drug stimulated the production of gastric wall mucus .
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15. ANTIACNE ACTIVITY:
 Acne:
 Acne is a cutaneous plemorphic disorders of the pilosebaceous unit involving.
Abnormalities in sebum production character ized by both inflammatory and
non inflammatory lesions
 Research had shown that CURCUMIN has potet antioxidant ,wound healing
and anti inflammatory properties which may prove to be THERAPEUTIC
against acne
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16. AGING ASSOCIATED DISESES:
 Age is an inevitable process for all organisms which creates cellular ND
molecular malfunction which leads to development of various chronic diseases
generally referred as aging associated diseases.
 Some of the most common are
 Chronic kidney disease 4,5
 Diabetes
 Hypertension
 Ocular diseases
 CURCUMIN finds its therapeutic activities for the treatment of ageing
associated diseases.
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17. HEPATOPROTECTOR EFFECT
 Turmeric has been found to have a hepatoprotective effect similar to
sikymarin.
 It protects liver from various hepatic insults like
 Paracetamol
 Aspergillus aflatoxins
 Ccl4
 Turmeric and CURCUMIN reversed biliary hyperplasia,fatty changes,and
necrosis induced by aflatoxin
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18. BRAIN PROTECTOR
 CURCUMIN has the ability to absorb cadmium and lead which are too toxic
to brain
 Thus CURCUMIN acts as a brain protector by protecting brain from the toxic
effects of heavy metals
18

19. PHARMACOKINETICS:
 40-85% of an oral dose of CURCUMIN passes through GIT unchanged
 Due to it’s lower rate of absorption CURCUMIN is formulated with bromelin
for increased absorption and enhanced anti inflammatory effect .
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20. DOSAGE FORMS
 Powdered crude plant material ,rhizomes and corresponding preparations
 Store in a dry environment protected from light
 Air dry the crude drug every 2_3 months *6
 USES:
 Uses supported by clinical data
Acid,flautent,atonic dyspepsia 2628)5
Heals ulcers
Anti inflammatory
 Uses described in pharmacopoeias:
 Treatment of peptic ulcers
 Treatment of pain and inflammation due to Rheumatoid arthritis 2 11 14
29 30)5
 Skin diseses,amenrohea.dysamenorhea, epilepsy,pain 2 3 16)6
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21. CONTRAINDICATIONS:
 Obstruction of the biliary tract
 Hypersensitivity to drug
 Incase of gall stones ,use only after consultation with aphysician26 )
Precautions:
CURCUMA lONGA is not a mutagenic in vitro 5456)
CURCUMA lONGA was not tetratogenic in mice or rats345758)
ADVERSE reactions:
Allergic dermatitis 60)
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22. REFERENCE
 1.prasad,s;Aggarwal,B.B.Turmeric,the golden spice;from traditional
medicine.InHerbal medicine;Biomolecular and clinical aspects ,2nd
Ed;Benzie,I.F.F,Wacthel-Galor,s,Ed’s;CRC press/Taylor&Francis;Boca
Raton,FL,USA,2011;ISBN9781439807132
 2.44.sakai k et al.effects of extracts of Zingiberaceae herbs on gastric secretion
in rabbits.chemical and pharmaceutical bulletin,1989,37:215-217
 3.Muderji B,zaidi SH,Singh Gb spices and gastric function.part1.effect of
CURCUMA lONGA on the gastric secretion in rabbit .journal of scientific and
insdustrial resaerch ,1981,29:25-28
 4.Tosato,M;Zamboni,v;FERRINI,Cesari,M The aging process and potential
interventions to extend life expectancy clin.interv.aging2007,401_402 PUB
MED
 5.Kithas,P.A;suspiano,M.A.Hypertensionanf chronisc kidney disese in the
elderly .Adv.chronic kidney dis2010,17,314_347
 6.standard of AESEAN herbal medicine ,vok1.jakarta,ASEAN countries,1993
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