Turmeric and black pepper spices decrease lipid peroxidation in meat patties during cooking.

Spices are rich in natural antioxidants and have been shown to be potent inhibitors of lipid peroxidation during cooking of meat. Turmeric contains unique conjugated curcuminoids with strong antioxidant activity. Piperine, one of the main constituents of black pepper, is known to increase the bioavailability of curcuminoids in mouse and human studies when consumed with turmeric. We investigated whether adding black pepper to turmeric powder may further inhibit lipid peroxidation when added to meat patties prior to cooking. The addition of black pepper to turmeric significantly decreased the lipid peroxidation in hamburger meat. When investigating the antioxidant activity of the main chemical markers, we determined that piperine did not exhibit any antioxidant activity. Therefore, we conclude that other black pepper ingredients are responsible for the increased antioxidant activity of combining black pepper with turmeric powder

Natural Compounds as Beneficial Antioxidant Agents in Neurodegenerative Disorders: A Focus on Alzheimer’s Disease

The positive role of nutrition in chronic neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) suggests that dietary interventions represent helpful tools for preventing NDs. In particular, diets enriched with natural compounds have become an increasingly attractive, non-invasive, and inexpensive option to support a healthy brain and to potentially treat NDs. Bioactive compounds found in vegetables or microalgae possess special properties able to counteract oxidative stress, which is involved as a triggering factor in neurodegeneration. Here, we briefly review the relevant experimental data on curcuminoids, silymarin, chlorogenic acid, and compounds derived from the microalga Aphanizomenon flos aquae (AFA) which have been demonstrated to possess encouraging beneficial eects on neurodegeneration, in particular on Alzheimer’s disease models

PENGARUH PEMBERIAN SALEP KUNYIT (CURCUMA DOMESTICA)UNTUK MENGURANGI STRIAE GRAVIDARUM : Studi Ibu Hamil Trimester II pada Bidan Praktik Mandiri Wilayah Kerja UPTD Puskesmas Bukit Hindu Kota Palangka Raya

Latar Belakang : Striae Gravidarum (SG) adalah garis yang terlihat pada kulit perut wanita hamil akibat peregangan kulit sejalan dengan membesarnya rahim dan dinding perut. SG dapat menyebabkan rasa gatal, panas pada guratan dan sekitarnya. Walaupun tidak dapat dihilangkan penuh, keadaannya dapat diminimalisir dengan perawatan kulit. Pada penelitian ini melakukan terapi herbal yang merupakan salah satu metode pengobatan komplementer dan alternatif, lebih disukai karena komplikasinya lebih sedikit dan biaya lebih murah dibandingkan dengan prosedur invasif seperti terapi laser dan bedah kosmetik. Pencegahan Striae Gravidarum (SG)sama dengan penyembuhan luka dan bekas luka. Tujuan Penelitian : Untuk menganalisis pengaruh pemberian salep kunyit (Curcuma Domestica)untuk mengurangi Striae Gravidarum. Metode : Penelitian Eksperimen dengan rancangan Pretest-Posttest with Control Group Design. Pada desain penelitian ini terdapat 2 (Dua) kelompok, yaitu 1 (Satu)kelompok intervensi dan 1 kelompok kontrol. Kelompok intervensi diberikan salep Kunyit dan kelompok kontrol diberikan salep Placebo. Hasil : Hasil analisis bivariat menunjukkan ada pengaruh yang bermakna secara statistik pada kelompok intervensi (Salep Kunyit) untuk mengurangi garis Striae Gravidarum dengan nilai p-value = 0,004, sebaliknya tidak ada pengaruh yang bermakna secara statistik untuk mengurangi warna SG dengan nilai p-value = 0,510. Simpulan : Pemberian intervensi salep Kunyit (Curcuma Domestica) dapat mengurangi garis Striae Gravidarum (SG), tetapi tidak dapat mengurangi warna SG. Kata Kunci : Striae Gravidarum, Salep Kunyit. Introduction : Striae Gravidarum (SG) is a scratch on the stomach skin of pregnant women caused by the stretching skin as the uterus and abdominal wall are getting bigger. Sometimes woman experiences itchy and hot around the scratch. Eventhough, the scratch can not be diminished totally, it still can be minimized by skin care. Herbal therapy is one of alternative and complementer cures. It gives less complication and is cheaper than the invasive procedure, such as laser and cosmetic surgery. The prevention of SG is similar as curing of wound or scars. Objectives : The objective of this research is to analyse the influence of turmeric ointment in minimizing the Striae Gravidarum (SG). Method : The method of this research is an experiment with Pretest-Posttest with Control Group Design. In this design, there are two groups of experiment, namely one group of intervention and one group of controll. The respondents of intervention group are given turmeric ointment and the controll group is given Placebo ointment. Result : The bi-variat analysis result shows the score P-Value = 0,004 and the score of P is P0,05 Conclusion : The giving of given turmeric ointment enables to reduce the scratch of Striae Gravidarum (SG), but it can not reduce the its color. Key words : Striae Gravidarum, turmeric ointment (Curcuma Domestica)

Modulation of neurotrophic signaling pathways by polyphenols

Polyphenols are an important class of phytochemicals, and several lines of evidence have demonstrated their beneficial effects in the context of a number of pathologies including neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. In this report, we review the studies on the effects of polyphenols on neuronal survival, growth, proliferation and differentiation, and the signaling pathways involved in these neurotrophic actions. Several polyphenols including flavonoids such as baicalein, daidzein, luteolin, and nobiletin as well as nonflavonoid polyphenols such as auraptene, carnosic acid, curcuminoids, and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives including caffeic acid phentyl ester enhance neuronal survival and promote neurite outgrowth in vitro, a hallmark of neuronal differentiation. Assessment of underlying mechanisms, especially in PC12 neuronal-like cells, reveals that direct agonistic effect on tropomyosin receptor kinase (Trk) receptors, the main receptors of neurotrophic factors including nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) explains the action of few polyphenols such as 7,8-dihydroxyflavone. However, several other polyphenolic compounds activate extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathways. Increased expression of neurotrophic factors in vitro and in vivo is the mechanism of neurotrophic action of flavonoids such as scutellarin, daidzein, genistein, and fisetin, while compounds like apigenin and ferulic acid increase cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element-binding protein (CREB) phosphorylation. Finally, the antioxidant activity of polyphenols reflected in the activation of Nrf2 pathway and the consequent upregulation of detoxification enzymes such as heme oxygenase-1 as well as the contribution of these effects to the neurotrophic activity have also been discussed. In conclusion, a better understanding of the neurotrophic effects of polyphenols and the concomitant modulations of signaling pathways is useful for designing more effective agents for management of neurodegenerative diseases

Purification of Curcumin from Ternary Extract-Similar Mixtures of Curcuminoids in a Single Crystallization Step

Crystallization-based separation of curcumin from ternary mixtures of curcuminoids having compositions comparable to commercial extracts was studied experimentally. Based on solubility and supersolubility data of both, pure curcumin and curcumin in presence of the two major impurities demethoxycurcumin (DMC) and bis(demethoxy)curcumin (BDMC), seeded cooling crystallization procedures were derived using acetone, acetonitrile and 50/50 (wt/wt) mixtures of acetone/2-propanol and acetone/acetonitrile as solvents. Starting from initial curcumin contents of 67–75% in the curcuminoid mixtures single step crystallization processes provided crystalline curcumin free of BDMC at residual DMC contents of 0.6–9.9%. Curcumin at highest purity of 99.4% was obtained from a 50/50 (wt/wt) acetone/2-propanol solution in a single crystallization step. It is demonstrated that the total product yield can be significantly enhanced via addition of water, 2-propanol and acetonitrile as anti-solvents at the end of a cooling crystallization process

Design and construction of a new biosynthetic pathway for the production of curcuminoids in Escherichia coli

Curcuminoids are natural pigments from plants that have been reported as potential cancer-fighting drugs. The aim of this work is to engineer an artificial biosynthetic pathway for curcuminoids production by Escherichia coli. Starting from the substrate tyrosine, the curcumin pathway involves several enzymatic steps: conversion of tyrosine to p-coumaric acid; conversion of p-coumaric acid to caffeic acid; production of caffeoyl-CoA from caffeic acid; production of feruloyl-CoA from caffeoyl-CoA; and finally the production of curcumin from feruloyl-CoA and possibly other curcuminoids, due to enzyme promiscuity. The enzymes involved in the two first enzymatic steps are tyrosine ammonia lyase from Rhodotorula glutinis, P450 CYP199A2 from Rhodopseudomonas palustris, and the redox partners pdr from Pseudomonas putida and pux from R. palustris. These two steps were successfully accomplished. Two CoA ligases from different sources are being explored for the conversion of the different carboxylic acids into their corresponding CoA esters. Different combinations of these enzymes and caffeoyl-CoA 3-methyl transferase may lead to the production of different curcuminoids. For the last step of the pathway two approaches are being studied: the use of diketide-CoA synthase and curcuminoid synthase from Curcuma longa, and curcumin synthase from Oryza sativa that itself catalyzes both steps. Successful construction of the curcuminoids biosynthetic pathway would mark a significant step forward in the in situ production of these poorly soluble, anti-carcinogenic compounds

Chemical composition and product quality control of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.)

Chemical constituents of various tissues of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) have been extensively investigated. To date, at least 235 compounds, primarily phenolic compounds and terpenoids have been identified from the species, including 22 diarylheptanoids and diarylpentanoids, eight phenylpropene and other phenolic compounds, 68 monoterpenes, 109 sesquiterpenes, five diterpenes, three triterpenoids, four sterols, two alkaloids, and 14 other compounds. Curcuminoids (diarylheptanoids) and essential oils are major bioactive ingredients showing various bioactivities in in vitro and in vivo bioassays. Curcuminoids in turmeric are primarily accumulated in rhizomes. The essential oils from leaves and flowers are usually dominated by monoterpenes while those from roots and rhizomes primarily contained sesquiterpenes. The contents of curcuminoids in turmeric rhizomes vary often with varieties, locations, sources, and cultivation conditions, while there are significant variations in composition of essential oils of turmeric rhizomes with varieties and geographical locations. Further, both curcuminoids and essential oils vary in contents with different extraction methods and are unstable with extraction and storage processes. As a result, the quality of commercial turmeric products can be markedly varied. While curcumin (1), demethoxycurcumin (2), and bisdemethoxycurcumin (5) have been used as marker compounds for the quality control of rhizomes, powders, and extract (“curcumin”) products, Ar-turmerone (99), -turmerone (100), and -turmerone (101) may be used to control the product quality of turmeric oil and oleoresin products. Authentication of turmeric products can be achieved by chromatographic and NMR techniques, DNA markers, with morphological and anatomic data as well as GAP and other information available

The Effect of Gamma Radiation on Microbial Content and Curcuminoids of Curcuma Amada Roxb. Rhizomes

The microbial contamination in the rhizomes of medicinal plants including Curcuma amada rhizomes is generally high. This due to the fact that rhizomes are the bottom parts that grow in the soil. Based on the Regulation of Head of the Indonesian National Agency of Drug and Food Control Number HK.00.06.1.52.4011, the limits of microbial contamination in herbal/medicinal plants are 106 cfu/g for the total microbial and 2×104 cfu/g for the total yeast and mold. Gamma irradiation is one of the methods to reduce microbial contamination in medicinal plants. In this research, the effectiveness of gamma irradiation in microbial reduction and its effects to curcuminoid contents was determined by irradiating Curcuma amada rhizomes at doses of 5 and 10 kGy. The initial contamination in this rhizome was 8.78×107 cfu/g and 5×101 cfu/g for the total microbial and for the total yeast and mould, respectively. The result indicates that at 5 kGy, the microbial contamination and the mould and yeast contamination were reduced from 8.78×107 cfu/g and 5×101 cfu/g to 1.39×104 cfu/g and under 1×101 cfu/g, respectively. Meanwhile the comparison of curcuminoids between the irradiated and non irradiated samples was performed by HPLC method and was found to actually increase from 0.26% to 0.36% after the 5-kGy irradiation. It can be concluded that an irradiation dose of 5 kGy is effective to reduce the content of microorganisms without lowering curcuminoids. Gamma radiation could be used as decontamination method in medicinal plants.Received: 03 July 2015 ; Revised: 29 December 2015; Accepted: 19 Februari 201