Review Article

A Neutraceutical by Design: The Clinical Application of Curcumin in Colonic Inflammation and Cancer

Table 1

Curcumin: a list of animal studies demonstrating anti-inflammatory, chemopreventive, and chemotherapeutic action in gastrointestinal disease (IBD and CRC).

Author, yearAnimal modelDosage regimenFindings

Sugimoto et al., 2002 [8]
TNBS colitis; C57BL/6 and BALB/c miceDietary; 0.5, 2.0, and 5.0%
7 days
Inhibits Th1 cytokine profile in CD4+ T cells by suppressing IL-12 production in macrophages; proposed mechanism: NF-κB downregulation

Perkins et al., 2002 [9] Min/+ mice and wild-type C57Bl/6J miceDietary; 0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.5%
15 weeks or single dose intraperitoneal injection
Concluded curcumin useful in the chemoprevention of human intestinal malignancies related to Apc mutations (advantage over NSAIDS in is its ability to decrease intestinal bleeding linked to adenoma maturation)
At 0.2 and 0.5%, it reduced adenoma multiplicity by 39 and 40%, respectively
Hematocrit values in untreated mice were drastically reduced

Perkins et al., 2003 [10] Apc (Min/+) miceDietary; 0.2% and or aspirin (0.05%)
Aspirin and curcumin act during different “windows” of neoplastic development

Ukil et al., 2003 [11]TNBS colitis; BALB/c mice
Dietary; 50, 100, and 300 mg/kg; 10 days before treatment and 8 days after inductionSignificant reduction in neutrophil infiltration (decreased MPO activity), lipid peroxidation (decreased malondialdehyde activity), and decreased serine protease activity.; also reduction in IFN-, IL-12, iNOS mRNA expression, and NF-κB

Salh et al., 2003 [12]DNBS colitis; C3H mice
Dietary; 0.25%
5 days before treatment and 5 days after induction
NF-κB inhibition; reduced MPO activity, IL-1β activity, and p38 MAPK activity
Reduced weight loss, histological severity, and reduction in inflammatory markers

Jian et al., 2005 [13]TNBS colitis; SPF Wistar ratsDietary; 2.0%, 14 daysNF-κB, IκB, IL-1, and IL-10 improved histological score, suppression of NF-κB, blockage of IκB degradation, suppression of IL-1, and increase IL-10 expression

Jiang et al., 2006 [14]TNBS colitis; Sprague-Dawley rats30 and 60 mg/kg day, intraperitoneal injection
14 days
Reduced MPO activity, decreased COX-2, IFN- and TNF-expression, and increased PGE2 expression

Zhang et al., 2006 [15]TNBS colitis; Sprague-Dawley rats30 mg/kg/day, intraperitoneal injection
15 days
Reduced myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity
Decreased the expression of Th1 cytokines (IL-12, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, and IL-1)
Increased the expression of Th2 cytokines (IL-4 and IL-10)
Increased proportion of IFN-gamma/IL-4 in splenocytes and circulation
Improved weight loss and histological images

Venkataranganna
et al., 2007 [16]
DNCB colitis; Wistar ratsDietary; 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg 10 daysDown-regulation of iNOS and NF-κB expression
Decrease in MPO, LPO, and ALP activities

Camacho-Barquero
et al., 2007 [17]
TNBS colitisDietary; 50–300 mg/kg
14 days
Reduced MPO activity and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF)-alpha
Diminished p38 MAPK activity; decreases COX-2 and iNOS expression
Reduced nitrites

Martelli et al., 2007 [18]DNBS colitis; BALB/c miceDietary; 45 mg/kg; ±capsazepine
intraperitoneally, (30 min before curcumin)
7 days
Reduction in the activation of p38 MAPK
Down-regulation of COX-2 and iNOS expression
Reductions in MPO activity and (TNF)-alpha
Reduced nitrites

Deguchi et al., 2007 [19]DSS colitis; BALB/c miceDietary; 2.0% wt/wt
14 days
Reduced disease activity index, histological colitis score, and MPO activity
Suppressed NF-κB activity

Billerey-Larmonier
et al., 2008 [20]
TNBS colitis; BALB/c and SJL/J miceDietary; 2.0% wt/wt
9 days
BALB/c mice: curcumin significantly increased survival, prevented weight loss, and normalized disease activity
SJL/J mice: curcumin demonstrated no protective effects

Larmonier et al., 2008 [21]Specific pathogen-free wild-type 129/SvEv mice and IL-10 (−/−) miceDietary; 0.1–1% wt/wt
14 days
Reduced IFN-gamma and IL-12/23p40 in SPF mice (limited effects in IL-10 mice)
Synergistic action of curcumin and IL-10 to inhibit NF-κB

Nones et al., 2009 [22] mdr1a −/− mice Dietary; 0.2%
16–19 weeks
Upregulation of xenobiotic metabolism and a down-regulation of proinflammatory pathways (possibly mediated by pregnane X receptor (Pxr) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARA) activation of retinoid X receptor (Rxr))

Lubbad et al., 2009 [23]TNBS colitis Sprague-Dawley rats
Dietary; 100 mg/kg
5 days
Reduced MPO and MDA concentrations in colitis models
Diminished TLR-4, NF-κB, and MyD88 proteins in colitis models

Jia et al., 2011 [24]DSS colitis; C57BL/6 miceDietary; 2% curcumin ± fish oil ± maize oilCombined FO and curcumin suppressed NF-κB, in the colon mucosa