Antioxidant and radical scavenging properties of curcumin
Introduction
Oxygen consumption inherent in cell growth leads to the generation of a series of reactive oxygen species (ROS) [1]. They are continuously produced by the body's normal use of oxygen such as respiration and some cell-mediated immune functions. ROS include free radicals such as superoxide anion radicals (O2−), hydroxyl radicals (OH) and non-free radical species such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and singlet oxygen (1O2) [2]. ROS are continuously produced during normal physiologic events and can easily initiate the peroxidation of membrane lipids, leading to the accumulation of lipid peroxides. ROS are also capable of damaging crucial biomolecules such as nucleic acids, lipids, proteins and carbohydrates and may cause DNA damage that can lead to mutations. If ROS are not effectively scavenged by cellular constituents, they lead to disease conditions. ROS have been implicated in more than 100 diseases [3].
All aerobic organisms have antioxidant defences, including antioxidant enzymes and antioxidant food constituents, to remove or repair the damaged molecules. Antioxidant compounds can scavenge free radicals and increase shelf life by retarding the process of lipid peroxidation, which is one of the major reasons for deterioration of food and pharmaceutical products during processing and storage [4]. Antioxidants can protect the human body from free radicals and ROS effects. They retard the progress of many chronic diseases as well as lipid peroxidation [5], [6]. Hence, a need for identifying alternative natural and safe sources of food antioxidants has been created, and the search for natural antioxidants, especially of plant origin, has notably increased in recent years. Antioxidants have been widely used as food additives to provide protection against oxidative degradation of foods. At the present time, the most commonly used antioxidants are butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), propylgallate and tert-butyl hydroquinone. However, BHA and BHT have been suspected of being responsible for liver damage and carcinogenesis [7], [8]. Therefore, there is a growing interest in natural and safer antioxidants [9], [10].
Curcuma longa L. has been used for hundreds of years as a flavor, color, and preservative. Commercially, it is traded as a dye, spice, and source of industrial starch [11]. Curcumin is a nutriceutical compound reported to possess therapeutic properties against a variety of diseases ranging from cancer to cystic fibrosis [12]. Recently, it has attracted much attention due to its significant medicinal potential. The aim of this study was to investigate the inhibition of lipid peroxidation, ferric ions (Fe3+) reducing antioxidant power assay, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS+) radical scavenging, superoxide anion radical scavenging in the riboflavin/methionine/illuminate system, hydrogen peroxide scavenging and ferrous ions (Fe3+) chelating activities of curcumin. In addition, an important main goal of this study was to clarify the antioxidant and radical scavenging and metal chelating mechanisms of curcumin.
Section snippets
Chemicals
N,N-Dimethyl-p-phenylenediamine dihydrochloride (DMPD), riboflavin, methionine, ABTS, BHA, BHT, nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT), DPPH, 3-(2-pyridyl)-5,6-bis(4-phenyl-sulfonic acid)-1,2,4-triazine (ferrozine), linoleic acid, α-tocopherol, polyoxyethylenesorbitan monolaurate (Tween-20) and trichloroacetic acid (TCA) were obtained from Sigma (Sigma–Aldrich GmbH, Sternheim, Germany). Curcumin and ammonium thiocyanate were purchased from Merck. All other chemicals used were analytical grade and obtained
Results
The ferric thiocyanate method measures the amount of peroxide, which is the primary product of oxidation produced during the initial stages of oxidation. Curcumin exhibited effective antioxidant activity in the linoleic acid emulsion system. The effects of different concentrations (15–45 μg/mL) of curcumin on lipid peroxidation of linoleic acid emulsion are shown in Fig. 1A and were found to be 97.3, 98.8 and 99.2%. This activity was greater than 45 μg/mL concentrations of BHA (95.5%),
Discussion
Many studies have been performed on the in vivo and in vitro properties of curcumin in different systems. Curcumin with its proven anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties has been shown to have several therapeutic effects. It was shown to be a potent scavenger of a variety of reactive oxygen species including hydroxyl radicals [38] and nitrogen dioxide radicals [39]. It was also shown to inhibit lipid peroxidation in different animal models [38]. Curcumin is an extremely potent
Conclusion
Curcumin was found to be an effective antioxidant in different in vitro assays including: reducing power, DPPH, ABTS+, O2− and DMPD+ radical scavenging, hydrogen peroxide scavenging and metal chelating activities when compared to standard antioxidant compounds such as BHA, BHT, α-tocopherol, a natural antioxidant, and trolox. Fig. 1 shows the total antioxidant activity of curcumin, BHA, BHT, α-tocopherol and trolox as determined by the ferric thiocyanate method in the linoleic acid system,
Acknowledgements
This study partially was supported by the Research Fund of Atatürk University. The author is grateful to the Research Fund of Atatürk University for financial support (Project no. 2001/35). The authors thank Prof. Glen Lawrence, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Long Island University, Brooklyn, NY, USA for language correction of this manuscript. Also, the authors thank Dr. Mustafa Arık, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Arts, Atatürk University for theoretical
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