The effects of curcumin supplementation on high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein, serum adiponectin, and lipid profile in patients with type 2 diabetes: A randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial

Icariin treatment reduces blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetic rats and protects pancreatic function

Icariin, a flavonoid isolated from traditional oriental herbal medicines, has been demonstrated to exhibit several health benefits in animal models and in humans. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of Icariin on hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in rats. A model of diabetes was established in 50 Sprague Dawley rats using a high-sugar and high-fat diet and peritoneal injection of streptozotocin. Diabetic rats were divided into five groups: Diabetic control; metformin; and rats treated with three different doses of Icariin, 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg. Body weight and blood glucose levels were measured, and serum adiponectin levels, expression of phospho-AMP mediated protein kinase (p-AMPK) and glucose transporter isoform 4 (GLUT-4) were measured using ELISA, Realtime PCR and western blotting, respectively. Diabetic rats without drug treatment exhibited reduced body weight, increased blood glucose levels and decreased the number of islets. In T2DM rats treated with 10 or 20 mg/kg Icariin, the blood glucose levels were reduced, whereas serum adiponectin levels were not affected. Additionally, the mRNA and protein expression levels of p-AMPK and GLUT-4 protein were increased in the T2DM rats treated with Icariin. In conclusion, in the diabetes rat model, Icariin alleviated the severity of diabetes, and the effects may be associated with reduction of hyperglycemia by activating an AMPK/GLUT-4 pathway.

The effect of curcumin supplementation on clinical outcomes and inflammatory markers in patients with ulcerative colitis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Curcumin has anti-inflammatory properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of curcumin on improvement of the disease activity in ulcerative colitis (UC).

METHODS

In this randomized double-blind clinical trial, 70 patients with mild-to-moderate UC were randomly assigned to curcumin (1,500 mg/day) or placebo intake for 8 weeks. Disease clinical activity, quality of life, serum levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) values, and complete blood count were measured.

RESULTS

Changes in Simple Clinical Colitis Activity Index score were significantly higher in the curcumin than the placebo group (-5.9 ± 2.08 vs. -2.1 ± 2.6; p = .001). The scores of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire-9 and quality of life were significantly higher in the intervention group compared to the control group (p = .006). Furthermore, the curcumin supplementation reduced the serum hs-CRP concentration (-6.3 ± 13.6 vs. 3.7 ± 11.6 μg/ml; p = .01) and ESR levels significantly (-1.6 ± 2.7 vs. -0.09 ± 2.4 mm/hr; p = .02) in comparison with the control group. No significant changes were observed in the TNF-α levels of both groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Consumption of the curcumin supplement, along with drug therapy, is associated with significant improvement of the clinical outcomes, quality of life, hs-CRP, and ESR in patients with mild-to-moderate UC.

Anti-inflammatory Action of Curcumin and Its Use in the Treatment of Lifestyle-related Diseases

Chronic inflammation plays a significant role in lifestyle-related diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and obesity/impaired glucose tolerance. Curcumin is a natural extract that possesses numerous physiological properties, as indicated by its anti-inflammatory action. The mechanisms underlying these effects include the inhibition of nuclear factor-kappaB and Toll-like receptor 4-dependent signalling pathways and the activation of a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma pathway. However, the bioavailability of curcumin is very low in humans. To resolve this issue, several drug delivery systems have been developed and a number of clinical trials have reported beneficial effects of curcumin in the management of inflammation-related diseases. It is expected that evidence regarding the clinical application of curcumin in lifestyle-related diseases associated with chronic inflammation will accumulate over time.