title: Effects of Stable Degradation Products of Curcumin on Cancer Cell Proliferation and Inflammation.
abstract: Curcumin is among the most promising dietary compounds for cancer prevention. However, curcumin rapidly degrades in aqueous buffer at physiological pH, making it difficult to understand whether the effects of curcumin are from curcumin itself or its degradation products. Here we studied the antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory effects of curcumin degradation products, including its total degradation products (a mixture containing all stable degradation products of curcumin) and bicyclopentadione (a dominant stable degradation compound of curcumin). Curcumin potently modulated cell proliferation, progression of cell cycle, and apoptosis in MC38 colon cancer cells and inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory responses and NF-κB signaling in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. In contrast, neither the total degradation products of curcumin nor bicyclopentadione had such effects. For example, after 24 h of treatment in MC38 colon cancer cells, 5 μg/mL curcumin inhibited 39.2 ± 1.8% of cell proliferation, whereas its degradation products were inactive. Together, these results suggest that the stable chemical degradation products of curcumin are not likely to play a major role in mediating the biological activities of curcumin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and ‡Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts , Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States.
authors.forename: Katherine Z
authors.initials: KZ
authors.lastname: Sanidad
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and ‡Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts , Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and ‡Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts , Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States.
authors.forename: Weicang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and ‡Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts , Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States.
authors.forename: Zheyuan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and ‡Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts , Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States.
authors.forename: Guodong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis; D002453:Cell Cycle; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D003474:Curcumin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007249:Inflammation; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D015394:Molecular Structure; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D000067996:RAW 264.7 Cells; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D016328:NF-kappa B; D003474:Curcumin
keywords: bicyclopentadione; cancer; curcumin; degradation; inflammation