Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Antioxidant and Antitumorigenic Properties of Curcumin

  • Conference paper
Food Factors for Cancer Prevention

Summary

Curcumin, the yellow pigment in turmeric and curry, has high antioxidant activity. Curcumin is capable of scavenging a variety of reactive oxygen species including superoxide anion radical, hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl radical, singlet oxygen, nitric oxide, and other organic free radicals. Curcumin is a potent inhibitor of reactive oxygen-generating enzymes such as cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase. Topical application of curcumin to the backs of mice inhibits formation of benz[a]pyrene (B[a]P)-DNA adducts and tumor initiation by B[a]P and 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) in epidermis. Topical application of curcumin to the backs of mice inhibits 12–0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced short-term, biomarker changes (e.g., inflammation, ornithine decarboxylase activity, and hyperplasia) as well as tumor promotion in mouse epidermis. Feeding curcumin in the diet inhibits forestomach, duodenal, and colon tumorigenesis. Turmeric contains curcumin, demeth-oxycurcumin, and bisdemothoxycurcumin (curcuminoids). The curcumin/demethoxycurcumin/bisdemethoxycurcumin ratio in turmeric is approximately 100:21:3. The antioxidant activity of curcumin is greater than that of demetho-xycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin. The ability of pure curcumin to inhibit TPA-induced tumor promotion in the skin of DMBA-initiated mice is about equal to that of demethoxycurcumin and is greater than that of bisdemethoxycurcumin.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Ammon HPT, Wahl MA (1991) Pharmacology of Curcuma longa. Planta Med 57:1–7

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Srimal RC, Dhawan BN (1973) Pharmacology of diferuloyl methane (curcumin), a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agent. J Pharm Pharmacol 25:44–52

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Shama OP (1976) Antioxidant activity of curcumin and related compounds. Biochem Pharmacol 25:1811–1812

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Mukhopahhyay A, Basu N, Ghatak N, Gujral PK (1982) Antiinflammatory and irritant activities of curcumin analogues in rats. Agents Actions 12:508–515

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Rao TS, Basu N, Siddiqui HH (1982) Antiinflammatory activity of curcumin analogues. Indian J Med Res 75:574–578

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Toda S, Miyase T, Arichi H, Tanizawa H, Takino Y (1985) Natural antioxidants. III. Antioxidative components isolated from rhizome of Curcuma longa L. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo) 33:1725–1728

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Rao MNA (1995) Antioxidant properties of curcumin. In: Proceedings of the International Symposium on Curcumin Pharmacochemistry, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, August 1995 (in press)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Huang M-T, Smart RC, Wong C-Q, Conney AH (1988) Inhibitory effect of curcumin, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and ferulic acid on tumor promotion in mouse skin by 12–0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate. Cancer Res 48:5941–5946

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Huang M-T, Wang, ZY, Georgiadis CA, Laskin JD, Conney AH (1992) Inhibitory effect curcumin on tumor initiation by benzo[a]pyrene and 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene. Carcinogenesis 13:947–954

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Azuine MA, Bhide SV (1992) Chemopreventive effect of tumeric against stomach and skin tumors induced by chemical carcinogenesis in Swiss mice. Nutr Cancer 17:77–83

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Huang MT, Robertson FM, Lysz T, Ferraro T, Wang ZY, Georgiadis CA, Laskin JD, Conney AH (1992) Inhibitory effects of curcumin on carcinogenesis in mouse epidermis In: Huang MT, Ho C-T, Lee C-L (eds) Phenolic compounds in food and their effects on health. II. Antioxidants and cancer prevention. Symposium Series 507. American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, pp 338–349

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  12. Huang M-T, Lou Y-R, Ma W, Newmark HL, Reuhl KR, Conney AH (1994) Inhibitory effects of dietary curcumin on forestomach, duodenal and colon carcinogenesis in mice. Cancer Res 54:5841–5847

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Rao CV, Riven A, Simi B, Reddy BS (1995) Chemopreventive of colon carcinogenesis by dietary curcumin, a naturally occurring plant phenolic compound. Cancer Res 55:259–266

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Huang M-T, Ma W, Lu Y-P, Chang RL, Fisher C, Manchand PS, Newmark HL, Conney AH (1995) Effects of curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin, and tetrahy-drocurcumin on 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced tumor promotion. Carcinogenesis 16:2493–2497

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Kunchandy E, Rao MNA (1990) Oxygen radical scavenging activity of curcumin. Int J Pharm 38:237–240

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Subramanian M, Sreejayan, Rao MNA, Devasagyam TPA, Singh BB (1994) Diminution of singlet oxygen-induced DNA damage by curcumin and related antioxidants. Mutat Res 311:249–255

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Unnikrishnan MK, Rao, MNA (1992) Curcumin inhibits nitrite-induced methemoglobin formation. FEBS Lett 301:195–196

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Huang M-T, Lysz T, Ferraro T, Abidi TF, Laskin JD, Conney AH (1991) Inhibitory effects of curcumin on in vitro lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase activities in mouse epidermis. Cancer Res 51:813–819

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Huang M-T, Ma W, Yen P, Xie J-G, Han J, Frenkel K, Grunberger D, Conney AH (1997) Inhibitory effects of topical application of low doses of curcumin on 12–0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced tumor promotion and oxidized DNA bases in mouse epidermis. Carcinogenesis 18:83–88

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Unnikrishnan MK, Rao MNA (1995) Curcumin inhibits nitrogen dioxide induced oxidation of hemoglobin. Mol Cell Biochem 146:35–37

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Sreejayan, Rao MNA (1994) Curcuminoids as potent inhibitors of lipid peroxidation. J Pharm Pharmacol 46:1013–1016

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Salimath SP, Sundaresn CS, Srinivas L (1986) Dietary components inhibit lipid peroxidation in erythrocyte membrane. Mutat Res 6:1171–1178

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Shih A-F, Lin J-K (1993) Inhibition of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine formation by curcumin in mouse fibroblast cells. Carcinogenesis 14:709–712

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Lu Y-P, Chang RL, Lou Y-R, Huang M-T, Newmark HL, Reuhl KR, Conney AH (1994) Effect of curcumin on 12–0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate- and ultraviolet B light-induced expression of c-Jun and c-Fos in JB6 cells and in mouse epidermis. Carcinogenesis 15:2363–2370

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Huang T-S, Lee S-C, Lin J-K (1991) Suppression of c-Jun/AP-1 activation by an inhibitor of tumor promotion in mouse fibroblast cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 88:5292–5296

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Polasa K, Sesikaran B, Krishna TP, Krishnaswamy K (1991) Tumeric (Curcuma longa)-induced reduction in urinary mutagens. Food Chem Toxicol 29:699–706

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Polasa K, Raghuram TC, Krishna TP, Krishnaswamy K (1992) Effects of turmeric on urinary mutagens in smokers. Mutagenesis 7:107–109

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Conney AH, Lysz T, Ferraro T, Abidi TF, Manchand PS, Laskin JD, Huang M-T (1991) Inhibitory effect of curcumin and some related dietary compounds on tumor promotion and arachidonic acid metabolism in mouse skin. Adv Enzyme Regul 31:385–396

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory for Cancer Research, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ, 08855-0789, USA

    Mou-Tuan Huang

Authors
  1. Mou-Tuan Huang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Food Science and Technology Faculty of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Oiwake-cho, Kitashirakawa, Kakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-01, Japan

    Hajime Ohigashi Ph.D. (Professor) (Professor)

  2. Department of Applied Biological Sciences Faculty of Agriculture, Nagoya University, Furocho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-01, Japan

    Toshihiko Osawa Ph.D. (Professor) (Professor)

  3. Lipid Science Laboratory, National Food Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, 2-1-2 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305, Japan

    Junji Terao Ph.D. (Head) (Head)

  4. Nutrition and Epidemiology, Department of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture, 1-1-1 Sakuragaoka, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156, Japan

    Shaw Watanabe M.D. (Professor) (Professor)

  5. First Department of Internal Medicine, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kawaramachi-Hirokoji, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602, Japan

    Toshikazu Yoshikawa M.D. (Associate Professor) (Associate Professor)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1997 Springer Japan

About this paper

Cite this paper

Huang, MT. (1997). Antioxidant and Antitumorigenic Properties of Curcumin. In: Ohigashi, H., Osawa, T., Terao, J., Watanabe, S., Yoshikawa, T. (eds) Food Factors for Cancer Prevention. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-67017-9_50

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-67017-9_50

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Tokyo

  • Print ISBN: 978-4-431-67019-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-4-431-67017-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation