In total, four experiments were conducted to determine the therapeutic and safety effects of the nutraceutical, turmeric and its active ingredient curcumin on canine and equine. Two studies were conducted on client-owned, moderately arthritic canines, studying the therapeutic and safety effect of curcumin’s anti-inflammatory properties. In Exp. 1, two different dosages, 500 mg, SID of 95% curcumin and 250 mg, BID of 95% liposomal-curcumin, were evaluated in ten moderately arthritic dogs over five months. The dogs in the 95% curcumin group had an overall greater significance in pain reduction by Day 60. Exp. 2, was a follow-up experiment to Exp. 1. In Exp. 2, two different dosages, 500 mg, SID or 100 mg, SID of 95% curcumin, were evaluated in ten moderately arthritic dogs over five months. Findings showed that dogs in the 500 mg, SID group had an overall greater significance in pain reduction by Day 60. Experiment 3 and 4 were a two-part project looking at the anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric, curcumin, and liposomal-curcumin in cecally-cannulated equine. Exp. 3, was a two-part in vitro study, the first part looked at the anti-microbial effects of turmeric, curcumin, and liposomal-curcumin in reducing opportunistic bacteria found in the equine hindgut, including Streptococcus bovis/equinus complex (SBEC) (P = 0.0056), E. coli K-12 (P = 0.5114), Escherichia coli general (P = 0.1083), Clostridium difficile (P \u3c 0.001), and Clostridium perfringens (P = 0.2439). Treatment D, 95% liposomal-curcumin, numerically reduced the concentration of all five opportunistic strains, and was therefore selected for use in the follow-up in vitro experiment. The second in vitro studied the effects of four different dosages, 15 g, 20 g, 25g, and 30 g of 500 mg/g of 95% liposomal-curcumin at reducing the concentration of SBEC (P \u3c 0.0001), E. coli K-12 (P = 0.0124), E.coli general (P = 0.032), C. difficile (P = 0.5608), and C. perfringens (P = 0.4214). In Exp. 4, 500 mg/g of 95% liposomal-curcumin at 15 g, 25 g, and 35 g, were tested in vivo for anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial therapeutic effects. In total, four experiments were conducted to determine the therapeutic and safety effects of the nutraceutical, turmeric, and its active ingredient curcumin on canines and equines. Two studies were conducted on client-owned, moderately arthritic canines, studying the therapeutic and safety effect of curcumin’s anti-inflammatory properties. In Exp. 1, two different dosages, 500 mg, SID of 95% curcumin and 250 mg, BID of 95% liposomal-curcumin, were evaluated in ten moderately arthritic dogs over five months. The dogs in the 95% curcumin group, overall, had a greater reduction in pain by Day 60. Exp. 2, was a follow-up experiment to Exp. 1. In Exp. 2, two different dosages, 500 mg, SID or 100 mg, SID of 95% curcumin, were evaluated in ten moderately arthritic dogs over five months. We observed that dogs in the 500 mg, SID group had an overall greater significance in pain reduction by Day 60. Experiment 3 and 4 were conducted as a two-part project looking at the antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric, curcumin, and liposomal-curcumin. The purpose of these studies were to investigate both form and dose of turmeric and its active ingredient, curcumin, on reducing opportunistic bacteria found in the equine hindgut. The bacterial strains of interest included Streptococcus bovis/equinus complex (SBEC), Escherichia coli K-12, Escherichia coli general, Clostridium difficile, and Clostridium perfringens. Exp. 3, was a two-part in vitro study; the first part looked at the antimicrobial effects of turmeric, curcumin, and liposomal-curcumin (LIPC) on reducing opportunistic bacteria found in the equine hindgut, including SBEC (P = 0.006), E. coli K-12 (P = 0.50), E. coli general (P = 0.11), C. difficile (P \u3c 0.0001), and C. perfringens (P = 0.24). The follow-up in vitro 24 h batch culture examined four different dosages (15 g, 20 g, 25 g, and 30 g) of 500 mg/g of LIPC, at reducing the concentration of opportunistic bacteria. These results were utilized to determine the dosing rate in vivo. Exp. 3, in vitro, evaluated the efficacy of antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties of LIPC dosed at 15, 20, 25, and 35 g. These results were utilized to determine the dosing rate in vivo. Exp. 4, in vivo, evaluated the efficacy of antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties of LIPC dosed at 15, 25, and 35 g compared to a control. In vivo, LIPC’s antimicrobial properties, at 15 g, significantly decreased (P = 0.02) SBEC compared to other treatments. In addition, C. perfringens tended (P = 0.12) to decrease as LIPC dose increased. Non-significant results in digestion, blood parameters, and range of motion suggest there were no adverse side effects from oral dosing increasing doses of curcumin. Valerate decreased (P = 0.005) linearly as LIPC dose increased. As LIPC dose increased, butyrate and iso-valerate decreased (P ≤ 0.03) linearly. However, acetate tended (P = 0.10) to increase linearly as the dose of LIPC increased. Treatment did not affect (P ≥ 0.19) any of the other individual VFAs measured, but increasing doses of LIPC tended (P = 0.10) to increase total VFA concentrations. Additionally, LIPC tended (P = 0.11) to increase total VFA concentrations when compared to control. In the future, further work should be conducted examining liposomal-curcumin’s antimicrobial properties in canine and anti-inflammatory properties in equine over a longer period of tim
