Curcumin therapy in inflammatory bowel disease: a pilot study.
Curcumin, a natural compound used as a food additive, has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties in cell culture and animal studies. A pure curcumin preparation was administered in an open label study to five patients with ulcerative proctitis and five with Crohn's disease. All proctitis patients improved, with reductions in concomitant medications in four, and four of five Crohn's disease patients had lowered CDAI scores and sedimentation rates. This encouraging pilot study suggests the need for double-blind placebo-controlled follow-up studies.
Holt
Peter R
PR
St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital Center, Columbia University and Strang Cancer Center Research Laboratory, New York, New York, USA. pholt@chpnet.org
Katz
Seymour
S
Kirshoff
Robert
R
D000328:Adult; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003474:Curcumin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011350:Proctocolitis / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D003474:Curcumin