curcumin and bixin

Combination therapy using natural antioxidants to manage diabetes mellitus and its complications is an emerging trend. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes promoted by treatment of streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic rats with yoghurt enriched with the bioactives curcumin, lycopene, or bixin (the latter two being carotenoids). Antioxidants were administered individually, or as mixtures, and biomarkers of metabolic and oxidative disturbances, particularly those associated with cardiovascular risk, were assessed. Treatment of STZ-diabetic rats with natural products individually decreased glycemia, triacylglycerol, total-cholesterol, oxidative stress biomarkers, including oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL), and increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes. Individual carotenoids increased both high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and paraoxonase levels, whereas curcumin increased only paraoxonase. Treatments with mixtures of curcumin and lycopene or bixin had combined effects, decreasing biomarkers of carbohydrate and lipid disturbances (curcumin effect), increasing the HDL levels (carotenoids effects) and mitigating oxidative stress (curcumin and carotenoids effects). The combined effects also led to prevention of the LDL oxidation, thereby mitigating the cardiovascular risk in diabetes. These findings provide evidence for the beneficial effect of curcumin and carotenoid mixtures as a supplementation having antioxidant and antiatherogenic potentials, thus appearing as an interesting strategy to be studied as a complementary therapy for diabetic complications.

Topics: Animals; Aryldialkylphosphatase; Carotenoids; Curcumin; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental; Dietary Supplements; Drug Synergism; Lipoproteins, HDL; Lipoproteins, LDL; Lycopene; Male; Oxidative Stress; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Yogurt

This work aimed to compare methods for the formation of complexes of bixin and curcumin with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and to evaluate the stability of the complexes formed by these methods and their food applications. The stoichiometric relationship between curcumin and β-CD was 1:2 and that between bixin and β-CD was 1:1. Curcumin-β-CD and bixin-β-CD complexes formed by kneading, coprecipitation, and simple mixing were evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetry analysis (TGA), or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR-H). For both curcumin and bixin, the best method of complexation was coprecipitation. Complexation of colorants with β-CD promoted an intensification of color and increased water solubility; however, stabilization in the presence of light occurred only for bixin. Application of curcumin-β-CD in cheese and yogurt and bixin-β-CD in the curd did not alter the initial characteristics of the products, which were sensorialy well accepted. Therefore, the complexation of these natural colorants with β-CD favors their use in low-fat foods, broadening the field of industrial application.

Topics: beta-Cyclodextrins; Carotenoids; Cheese; Chemical Precipitation; Curcumin; Drug Stability; Food Coloring Agents; Food Technology; Light; Yogurt

Induction of micronuclei and chromosomal aberrations produced by whole body exposure of r-radiation (1.5-3.0 Gy) in mice was found to be significantly inhibited by oral administration of natural antioxidants, curcumin (400 micro moles), ellagic acid (200 micro moles) and bixin (200 micro moles) per kilogram body weight. These antioxidants induced inhibition of micronucleated polychromatic and normochromatic erythrocytes, was comparable with alpha-tocopherol (200 micro moles) administration. Curcumin and ellagic acid were also found to significantly reduce the number of bone marrow cells with chromosomal aberrations and chromosomal fragments as effectively as alpha-tocopherol. Moreover, administration of antioxidants inhibited the DNA strand breaks produced in rat lymphocytes upon radiation as seen from the DNA unwinding studies. These results indicated that antioxidant curcumin, ellagic acid and bixin provide protection against chromosome damage produced by radiation.

Topics: Animals; Bone Marrow Cells; Carotenoids; Chromosome Aberrations; Chromosomes; Curcumin; DNA Damage; Ellagic Acid; Lymphocytes; Male; Mice; Micronuclei, Chromosome-Defective; Mutagenicity Tests; Radiation-Protective Agents; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Whole body irradiation of rats (10 Gy as five fractions) found to produce lung fibrosis within 2 months as seen from increased lung collagen hydroxyproline and histopathology. Oral administration of antioxidants curcumin, ellagic acid, bixin and alpha-tocopherol at a concentration 200 mumole/kg body weight significantly reduced the lung collagen hydroxyproline in these animals. In serum and liver lipid peroxidation which were found to be increased by irradiation was reduced significantly by antioxidant treatment. The liver superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activity were also found to be increased and catalase activity decreased in irradiated control. Superoxide dismutase activity reduced significantly by antioxidant treatment while catalase activity was found to be increased with alpha-tocopherol treatment. The increased frequency of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes after whole body irradiation of mice was found to be significantly reduced with antioxidants.

Topics: Animals; Antioxidants; Carotenoids; Curcumin; Ellagic Acid; Lipid Peroxidation; Male; Pulmonary Fibrosis; Radiation Injuries, Experimental; Radiation-Protective Agents; Rats; Rats, Wistar