title: The effect of curcumin on low-passage glioblastoma cells in vitro.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Plant extract therapy has been the cornerstone of cancer treatment for many years. The natural component curcumin demonstrated antineoplastic effects on different type of tumor cells. In this study, we explored the effectiveness of curcumin against low-passage human primary glioblastoma (GB) cell cultures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Early passage GB cell cultures (GB3B, GB4B, and GB5B) were established from fresh samples tissue obtained from GB patients. Growth rate (GR) and doubling time (DT) was determined for each cell line. The cytotoxic effect of curcumin was quantified by hemocytometer cell counting, using trypan blue. To study the changes in cell shape, GB cells exposed to a concentration corresponding to inhibitory concentration 50 (IC50) of curcumin were studied by phase-contrast microscopy by capturing images during the treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results showed that GB cells proliferate with a GR of 0.2872 and a DT of 2.41 days for GB3B, a GR of 0.2787 and a DT of 2.49 days for GB4B, and a GR of 0.2787 and a DT of 2.49 days for GB5B. Curcumin induced cell death in GB cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The IC50 for GB3B was 46.4 µM, for GB4B was 78,3 µM, and for GB5B was 47.7 µM. Phase contrast microscopy showed that cultures treated with curcumin in a concentration corresponding to IC50 contained rounded cells and cell fragments, 72 h after the treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the present investigation proved that curcumin is a natural compound potentially useful in the fight against GB.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Oana
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Alexandru
authors.affiliation: Department of Functional Sciences, Biochemistry Unit, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Ada M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Georgescu
authors.affiliation: Department of Functional Sciences, Biochemistry Unit, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Laurentiu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ene
authors.affiliation: Department of Functional Sciences, Biochemistry Unit, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Stefana O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Purcaru
authors.affiliation: Department of Functional Sciences, Biochemistry Unit, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Florentina
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Serban
authors.affiliation: Department of Functional Sciences, Biochemistry Unit, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Alisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Popescu
authors.affiliation: Department of Functional Sciences, Biochemistry Unit, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Corina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brindusa
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Bagdasar-Arseni Emergency Hospital, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Ligia G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Tataranu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Bagdasar-Arseni Emergency Hospital, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Vasile
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ciubotaru
authors.affiliation: Department of Functional Sciences, Biochemistry Unit, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: Anica
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dricu
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D003474:Curcumin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005909:Glioblastoma; D006801:Humans; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D003474:Curcumin