title: Antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic activity of natural and synthetic curcuminoids.
abstract: Five synthetic curcuminoids and three natural curcuminoids were investigated for their antimutagenic and anti-promotional activity. The natural curcuminoids, curcumin I (diferuloylmethane), curcumin II (feruloyl-p-hydroxycinnamoylmethane) and curcumin III (bis-(p-hydroxycinnamoyl)methane) isolated from Curcuma longa were found to be potent inhibitors of mutagenesis and crotean oil-induced tumour promotion. Curcumin III produced 87.6% inhibition to 2-acetamidofluorene (2-AAF) induced mutagenesis, at a concentration of 100 micrograms/plate, curcumin II and curcumin I produced 70.5% and 68.3% inhibition at the same concentration. All the synthetic curcuminoids were found to inhibit 2-AAF-induced mutagenicity among which salicyl- and anisylcurcuminoids were the most active. Curcumin III was the most effective anti-promotor among natural curcuminoids. While 90% of the control animals were having papillomas on the 10th week of tumour initiation, only 10% of the curcumin III-treated animals, 20% of the curcumin II-treated animals, and 40% of the curcumin I-treated animals were having papillomas. Salicylcurcuminoid, which was causing no papillomas by the 10th week, was the most potent anti-carcinogen among the synthetic curcuminoids. Piperonal curcuminoid also exhibited anti-promotional activity.
authors.affiliation: Amala Cancer Research Center, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Anto
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: George
authors.forename: K V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Babu
authors.forename: K N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Rajasekharan
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kuttan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016587:Antimutagenic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003474:Curcumin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000517:prevention & control; D010212:Papilloma / Q000517:prevention & control; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents; D016587:Antimutagenic Agents; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D003474:Curcumin