Study On Cellular And Molecular Mechanisms Of Biological Properties Of Curcumin

Cancer mortality rates have risen throughout most of the past century and into the new millennium. Cancer is already the leading cause of death in some countries. This observation has engendered much research activity aimed at identifying cancer chemopreventive agents, especially naturally occurring compounds derived from the diet, which have the advantage of being relatively nontoxic. However, limited scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness of these natural derivatives in conjunction with a lack of mechanistic understanding of their actions has prevented their entry into the mainstream of medical care.Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) is a natural compound present in turmeric, a rhizome of the plant Curcuma longa Lin. It is extensively used as a dietary spice and pigment in Asian cooking and also as an herbal medicine for inflammatory diseases. In certain countries, curcumin was consumed in the diet in amounts in excess of 100 mg/day without any side effects. Also in some other countries up to 4 g/adult/day appear to lower the incidence rate of colorectal cancer. Further studies show that curcumin prevents cancer in many tissues of mice and rats, and has been associated with regression of established solid malignancies in humans. It has been demonstrated to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cancer chemopreventive and potentially chemotherapeutic properties. However, the mechanisms of action for curcumin are not well understood. Contradictory results have been obtained. For example, the antioxidant properties of curcumin are well established. In cellular experiments, curcumin suppressed the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and protected against DNA damage induced by benz(a)pyren or H₂O₂. On the...