The metabolism and excretion of curcumin (1,7-bis-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione) in the rat.
Curcumin labelled with deuterium and tritium was prepared. Oral and intraperitoneal doses of [3H]curcumin led to the faecal excretion of most of the radioactivity. 2. Intravenous and intraperitoneal doses of [3H]curcumin were well excreted in the bile of cannulated rats. 3. The major biliary metabolites were glucuronides of tetrahydrocurcumin and hexahydrocurcumin. A minor biliary metabolite was dihydroferulic acid together with traces of ferulic acid. Metabolites were identified using chemical ionization mass spectrometry.
D000818:Animals; D001646:Bile / Q000378:metabolism; D001711:Biotransformation; D002396:Catechols / Q000378:metabolism*; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002621:Chemistry; D003474:Curcumin / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D005243:Feces / Q000032:analysis; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D051381:Rats
D002396:Catechols; D003474:Curcumin