Effect of turmeric and curcumin on oxidative stress and antioxidant enzymes in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat.
BACKGROUND
There is increasing evidence that complications related to diabetes are associated with increased oxidative stress. Curcumin, an active principle of turmeric, has several biological properties, including antioxidant activity. The protective effect of curcumin and turmeric on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced oxidative stress in various tissues of rats was studied.


METHODS
Three-month-old Wistar-NIN rats were made diabetic by injecting STZ (35 mg/kg body weight) intraperitoneally and fed either only the AIN-93 diet or the AIN-93 diet containing 0.002% or 0.01% curcumin or 0.5% turmeric for a period of eight weeks. After eight weeks the levels of oxidative stress parameters and activity of antioxidant enzymes were determined in various tissues.


RESULTS
STZ-induced hyperglycemia resulted in increased lipid peroxidation and protein carbonyls in red blood cells and other tissues and altered antioxidant enzyme activities. Interestingly, feeding curcumin and turmeric to the diabetic rats controlled oxidative stress by inhibiting the increase in TBARS and protein carbonyls and reversing altered antioxidant enzyme activities without altering the hyperglycemic state in most of the tissues.


CONCLUSIONS
Turmeric and curcumin appear to be beneficial in preventing diabetes-induced oxidative stress in rats despite unaltered hyperglycemic status.
Department of Biochemistry, National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, India.
Palla
P
Suryanarayana
Alleboena
A
Satyanarayana
Nagalla
N
Balakrishna
Putcha Uday
PU
Kumar
Geereddy Bhanuprakash
GB
Reddy
D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D030024:Curcuma; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013311:Streptozocin
D000975:Antioxidants; D001786:Blood Glucose; D001798:Blood Proteins; D007328:Insulin; D028321:Plant Preparations; D013311:Streptozocin; D003474:Curcumin