Turmeric/Curcumin
There is currently a lot of interest in the use of turmeric, or its active ingredient curcumin.
General
Cell Mol Life Sci. 2008 Jun;65(11):1631-52
Curcumin: from ancient medicine to current clinical trials
Hatcher H, Planalp R, Cho J, Torti FM, Torti SV
"Curcumin is the active ingredient in the traditional herbal remedy and dietary spice turmeric (Curcuma longa). Curcumin has a surprisingly wide range of beneficial properties, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic activity. The pleiotropic activities of curcumin derive from its complex chemistry as well as its ability to influence multiple signaling pathways, including survival pathways such as those regulated by NF-kappaB, Akt, and growth factors; cytoprotective pathways dependent on Nrf2; and metastatic and angiogenic pathways. Curcumin is a free radical scavenger and hydrogen donor, and exhibits both pro- and antioxidant activity. It also binds metals, particularly iron and copper, and can function as an iron chelator. Curcumin is remarkably non-toxic and exhibits limited bioavailability. Curcumin exhibits great promise as a therapeutic agent, and is currently in human clinical trials for a variety of conditions, including multiple myeloma, pancreatic cancer, myelodysplastic syndromes, colon cancer, psoriasis and Alzheimer's disease."
Bioavailability and dose
No effective dose has been established for horses.
Turmeric contains 2- 5% curcumin.
Curcumin is poorly absorbed from the small intestine.
Piperine, found in black and white pepper (piper nigrum), may increase bioavailability - white/black pepper contain 5-10% piperine. NB piperine may alter the effectiveness of certain medicines.
Piperine - Wikipedia
Lao CD, Ruffin MT 4th, Normolle D, Heath DD, Murray SI, Bailey JM, Boggs ME, Crowell J, Rock CL, Brenner DE
Dose escalation of a curcuminoid formulation
BMC Complement Altern Medicine 2006 Mar 17; 6:10
8 g of curcumin has been found effective in reducing tumours, this is the equivalent of 160 - 400 g of turmeric. Extrapolating a human dose to horses, this could be the equivalent of 1000 - 2500 g of turmeric per day.
Curcumin - Oregan State University Linus Pauling Institute (updated 2009)
"Optimal doses of curcumin for cancer chemoprevention or therapeutic uses have not been established. It is unclear whether doses less than 3.6 g/day are biologically active in humans."
3.6 g curcumin would be 72 - 180 g of turmeric, and may need to be greater for horses than humans.
Curcumin and diabetes/insulin resistance
Mohankumar S, McFarlane JR
An aqueous extract of Curcuma longa (turmeric) rhizomes stimulates insulin release and mimics insulin action on tissues involved in glucose homeostasis in vitro
Phytother Res. 2011 Mar;25(3):396-401. doi: 10.1002/ptr.3275. Epub 2010 Aug 23
"water soluble compounds of turmeric exhibit insulin releasing and mimicking actions within in vitro tissue culture conditions."
Wickenberg J, Ingemansson SL, Hlebowicz J
Effects of Curcuma longa (turmeric) on postprandial plasma glucose and insulin in healthy subjects
Nutrition Journal. 2010;9:43. doi:10.1186/1475-2891-9-43
"The present study shows that the ingestion of C. longa increased postprandial serum insulin levels, but did not affect plasma glucose levels or GI in healthy subjects. The results indicate that C. longa may have an effect on insulin secretion."
Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2009 Oct 16;388(2):377-82
Curcumin activates AMPK and suppresses gluconeogenic gene expression in hepatoma cells
Kim T, Davis J, Zhang AJ, He X, Mathews ST
In vitro, curcumin did not improve insulin receptor activity, nor did it increase glucose uptake into cells. One curcumin product appeared to reduce celullar glucose uptake, which could presumably increase blood glucose levels. However curcumin/THC did activate AMPK.
Curcumin and pituitary tumours
J Endocrinol September 1, 2012 214389-398
Curcumin suppresses HIF1A synthesis and VEGFA release in pituitary adenomas
B Shan, C Schaaf, A Schmidt, K Lucia, M Buchfelder, M Losa, D Kuhlen, J Kreutzer, M J Perone, E Arzt, G K Stalla and U Renner
In vitro research.
Endocrine-Related Cancer (2009) 16 1339–1350
Curcumin acts as anti-tumorigenic and hormone-suppressive agent in murine and human pituitary tumour cells in vitro and in vivo
C Schaaf, B Shan, M Buchfelder, M Losa, J Kreutzer, W Rachinger, G K Stalla, T Schilling, E Arzt, M J Perone and U Renner
1 mg curcumin was injected directly into mice with pituitary cell tumours in their flanks 3 x week.
Matthew Miller, Shenglin Chen, Jeffrey Woodliff, and Sanjay Kansra
Curcumin (Diferuloylmethane) Inhibits Cell Proliferation, Induces Apoptosis, and Decreases Hormone Levels and Secretion in Pituitary Tumor Cells
Endocrinology. Aug 2008; 149(8): 4158–4167.
Curcumin and high fat diets/lipid metabolism
PLoS One. 2013; 8(11): e81252 Published online Nov 19, 2013
Curcuma longa Extract Associated with White Pepper Lessens High Fat Diet-Induced Inflammation in Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue
Audrey M. Neyrinck, Maud Alligier, Patrick B. Memvanga, Elodie Névraumont, Yvan Larondelle, Véronique Préat, Patrice D. Cani, and Nathalie M. Delzenne
The study fed 0.1% diet curcumin and 0.01% diet white pepper (for piperine) to mice on a high fat diet for 4 weeks. This would be the equivalent of 10 g curcumin or 200 - 500 g turmeric, and 1 g white pepper, for a 500 kg horse eating 2% BW (10 kg). Curcumin did not prevent weight loss or fat gain, didn't improve glucose or lipid homeostasis. The treatment did down regulate IL6 and TNF alpha (pro-inflammatory cytokines) in subcutaneous adipose tissue back towards normal levels (i.e. levels seen in mice not on a high fat diet), but not in other tissue, e.g. liver or colon. At this level of feeding, curcumin was not detected in the blood.
Curcumin and iron
Curcumin has the potential to affect systemic iron metabolism and may function as an iron chelator:
Redox Biol. 2014; 2: 563–569. Published online Feb 28, 2014
Curcumin may impair iron status when fed to mice for six months
Dawn Chin, Patricia Huebbe, Jan Frank, Gerald Rimbach, and Kathrin Pallauf
"In conclusion, the presented data suggest a potentially adverse biological activity of high-dose curcumin supplementation that might lead to impaired iron absorption and status."
Blood. Jan 8, 2009; 113(2): 462–469.
Curcumin, a cancer chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agent, is a biologically active iron chelatorYan Jiao, John Wilkinson, Xiumin Di, Wei Wang, Heather Hatcher, Nancy D. Kock, Ralph D'Agostino Jr, Mary Ann Knovich, Frank M. Torti and Suzy V. Torti
"these results demonstrate that curcumin has the potential to affect systemic iron metabolism. There are 2 important implications of these results. First, iron chelators have been shown to exert antitumor effects, both through the formation of redox-active iron complexes and by iron depletion. Thus, reduction in systemic iron resulting from the use of curcumin in the setting of a low-iron diet may contribute to the anticancer activity of curcumin. Second, curcumin may have the potential to contribute to the development of anemia in patients with marginal iron status. This may be an important consideration when curcumin is used to treat patients with marginal or depleted iron stores or those exhibiting the anemia of cancer and chronic disease."
Could curcumin help reduce horses suspected of having iron overload?
Could curcumin be contra-indicated for horses with anaemia of chronic disease?
Curcumin and liver disease
Nabavi, S. F., Daglia, M., Moghaddam, A. H., Habtemariam, S. and Nabavi, S. M. (2014)
Curcumin and Liver Disease: from Chemistry to Medicine
Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 13: 62–77
Side effects and precautions
Turmeric - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre
"Patients with bile duct obstruction, gallstones, and GI disorders including stomach ulcers and hyperacidity disorders should not take this supplement."
International Journal of Cancer Volume 126, Issue 7, Article first published online: 14 OCT 2009
The dark side of curcumin
Estefanıa Burgos-Moron, , Jose Manuel Calderon-Montano, Javier Salvador, Antonio Robles and Miguel Lopez-Lazaro
Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2008 Oct;16(10):1205-12. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2008.01.013. Epub 2008 Mar 5
Comparison between chondroprotective effects of glucosamine, curcumin, and diacerein in IL-1beta-stimulated C-28/I2 chondrocytes
Toegel S, Wu SQ, Piana C, Unger FM, Wirth M, Goldring MB, Gabor F, Viernstein H
Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2009 Jan;17(1):135-6; author reply 137. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2008.07.006. Epub 2008 Sep 3
Comment on: comparison between chondroprotective effects of glucosamine, curcumin and diacerein in IL-1beta-stimulated C-28/I2 chondrocytes
Clutterbuck A, Harris P, Mobasheri A
"our recent observations suggest that high concentrations of curcumin (i.e. 50 to 100 μM) are also toxic to primary articular chondrocytes. In conclusion, we wish to thank the authors for bringing this apparent toxicity of curcumin to our attention."
Toxicol. Sci. (June 2006) 91 (2):476-483
Mitochondrial and Nuclear DNA Damage Induced by Curcumin in Human Hepatoma G2 Cells
Jun Cao, Li Jia, Hui-Min Zhou, Yong Liu and Lai-Fu Zhong
This research found that at high doses, curcumin imposed oxidative stress and damaged DNA, and concludes: "Consuming high doses of curcumin should be avoided, and the coingestion of piperine-containing foods with curcumin should be limited."
Of 15 people taking between 450 and 3,600 mg curcumin daily, 2 developed diarrhoea (one taking 450 mg, one taking 3,600 mg), and 1 (taking 900 mg) developed self-limiting nausea. Serum alkaline phosphatase increased in 4/15, lactate dehydrogenase increased in 3/15.
A Shehzad, S Khan, O Shehzad, YS Lee
Curcumin: therapeutic promises and bioavailability in colorectal cancer
Drugs of Today 2010, 46(7): 523-532
Side effects reported: gastrointestinal upset, chest tightness, inflamed skin and skin rashes with high doses. Contact dermatitis has been reported. The chronic use of curcumin can cause liver toxicity and people with hepatic disease, misusing alcohol or taking prescription drugs that are metabolized by the liver should probably avoid curcumin. Curcumin is not recommended for people with biliary tract obstruction , gall stones, obstructive jaundice or acute biliary colic diseases. 20-40 mg of curcumin has been reported to increase gallbladder contractions in healthy people.
Turmeric - University of Maryland Medical Centre (updated May 2013)
"Herbs ... can trigger side effects and may interact with other herbs, supplements, or medications. For these reasons, you should take herbs with care, under the supervision of a health care provider."
Turmeric in food is considered safe. Large amounts of turmeric taken for a long time may cause stomach upset and ulcers. Turmeric may lower blood sugar levels and when combined with medications for diabetes could cause hypoglycaemia. Turmeric may act as a blood-thinner.
Interactions with drugs
Turmeric interacts with many drugs.
Turmeric - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre
"Curcumin may also interact with drugs that are substrates of P-glycoprotein (P-gp)", "Curcumin was shown to downregulate intestinal P-gp levels", "Curcumin inhibited intestinal P-gp expression and function".
Pergolide appears to be a P-gp/ABCB1 substrate (see P-glycoprotein):
Neurosci Lett. 2008 Sep 5;442(1):19-23
Interactions between antiparkinsonian drugs and ABCB1/P-glycoprotein at the blood-brain barrier in a rat brain endothelial cell model
Vautier S, Milane A, Fernandez C, Buyse M, Chacun H, Farinotti R
"levodopa, bromocriptine, pergolide and pramipexole were ABCB1 substrates"
The use of turmeric/curcumin in horses
Wuest S, Atkinson RL, Bland SD, Hastings D
A Pilot Study on the Effects of Curcumin on Parasites, Inflammation, and Opportunistic Bacteria in Riding Horses
JEVS October 2017 Vol 57, Pages 46–50
6 horses were fed 15 g of 95% pure curcumin each day for 30 days and blood and fecal sample results compared to controls. Curcumin treatment had no effect on total fecal egg count, strongyles, or ascarids, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), although ESR decreased on day 14 in curcumin treated horses. Treatment had no effect on concentrations of Streptococcus bovis/equinus complex, Clostridium difficile, or Clostridium perfringens. "Curcumin was not an effective compound against intestinal parasites or fecal microbial strains examined when administered for 30 days; but could potentially decrease inflammation."
Bland, Stephanie
Therapeutic and Safety Evaluation of Curcumin's Antimicrobial and Anti-inflammatory Properties on Canine and Equine
PhD dissertation 2016
Harris PA, Gee HW
‘Unusual’ feeds for performance horses
EAAP 2006
Farinacci M, Gaspardo B, Colitti M, Stefanon B
Dietary administration of curcumin modifies transcriptional profile of genes involved in inflammatory cascade in horse leukocytes
Ital J Anim Sci 2009;8(Suppl 2):84-86
2 g CurcuVET per 500 kg horse was fed, and no controls were used. CurcuVET, according to the manufacturers, has superior bioavailability compared to ordinary curcumin.
(in vitro) F1000 Research published August 2013
Curcumin reduces prostaglandin E2, matrix metalloproteinase-3 and proteoglycan release in the secretome of interleukin 1β-treated articular cartilage
Abigail L Clutterbuck, David Allaway, Pat Harris, Ali Mobasheri
This research using cells from dead horses found that higher levels of curcumin (25μM and above) significantly increased chondrocyte (cartilage cells) death, but lower concentrations (12μM and below) had an anti-inflammatory effect and no obvious cytotoxic effects on cartilage. The paper concludes that curcumin may be useful for the treatment of inflammatory and degenerative disorders such as osteoarthritis, but that the bioavailability of curcumin may be low, care must be taken extrapolating in vitro results to use in live animals, and "further research is required to establish its bioavailability and physiologically relevant serum and synovial concentrations in vivo in humans and animals."
NB earlier research by the same team using only 25μM and above concentrations of curcumin in vitro established the toxicity of curcumin to cartilage and synovial cells: "DISCUSSION & CONCLUSIONS: Curcumin is cytotoxic to equine chondrocytes and synoviocytes at high doses. These results suggest that using curcumin as an antioxidant and proliferative agent in cultures of stem cells and progenitor cells should be approached with caution."
European Cells and Materials Vol. 16. Suppl. 3, 2008 (page 43)
Toxic Effects of Curcumin (Diferuloylmethane) on Equine Articular Chondrocytes and Synoviocytes In Vitro
AL Clutterbuck, D Allaway, P Harris, A Mobasheri
The Case for Curcumin - Eleanor Kellon, VMD, IVC Issue: V2I3
"Three horses with prominent and/or growing and spreading melanomas were given 1 to 3 ounces/day of ground turmeric. In all cases, the growths shrank and the spread was stopped. Since the behavior of melanomas is unpredictable, this small number of reports cannot rule out the possibility that the growths would have quieted down or shrunk on their own."
Journal of the American Holistic Medical Assoc., 2009, vol. 28, no. 1, 11-15
A PROMISING NATURAL THERAPY FOR EQUINE OSTEOARTHRITIS
Thomas Schell
Note that controls were not used, making this research of limited value, and the dose of curcumin used is not given. Also the product used was not pure curcumin, and the author had a strong bias.
General
Cell Mol Life Sci. 2008 Jun;65(11):1631-52
Curcumin: from ancient medicine to current clinical trials
Hatcher H, Planalp R, Cho J, Torti FM, Torti SV
"Curcumin is the active ingredient in the traditional herbal remedy and dietary spice turmeric (Curcuma longa). Curcumin has a surprisingly wide range of beneficial properties, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic activity. The pleiotropic activities of curcumin derive from its complex chemistry as well as its ability to influence multiple signaling pathways, including survival pathways such as those regulated by NF-kappaB, Akt, and growth factors; cytoprotective pathways dependent on Nrf2; and metastatic and angiogenic pathways. Curcumin is a free radical scavenger and hydrogen donor, and exhibits both pro- and antioxidant activity. It also binds metals, particularly iron and copper, and can function as an iron chelator. Curcumin is remarkably non-toxic and exhibits limited bioavailability. Curcumin exhibits great promise as a therapeutic agent, and is currently in human clinical trials for a variety of conditions, including multiple myeloma, pancreatic cancer, myelodysplastic syndromes, colon cancer, psoriasis and Alzheimer's disease."
Bioavailability and dose
No effective dose has been established for horses.
Turmeric contains 2- 5% curcumin.
Curcumin is poorly absorbed from the small intestine.
Piperine, found in black and white pepper (piper nigrum), may increase bioavailability - white/black pepper contain 5-10% piperine. NB piperine may alter the effectiveness of certain medicines.
Piperine - Wikipedia
Lao CD, Ruffin MT 4th, Normolle D, Heath DD, Murray SI, Bailey JM, Boggs ME, Crowell J, Rock CL, Brenner DE
Dose escalation of a curcuminoid formulation
BMC Complement Altern Medicine 2006 Mar 17; 6:10
8 g of curcumin has been found effective in reducing tumours, this is the equivalent of 160 - 400 g of turmeric. Extrapolating a human dose to horses, this could be the equivalent of 1000 - 2500 g of turmeric per day.
Curcumin - Oregan State University Linus Pauling Institute (updated 2009)
"Optimal doses of curcumin for cancer chemoprevention or therapeutic uses have not been established. It is unclear whether doses less than 3.6 g/day are biologically active in humans."
3.6 g curcumin would be 72 - 180 g of turmeric, and may need to be greater for horses than humans.
Curcumin and diabetes/insulin resistance
Mohankumar S, McFarlane JR
An aqueous extract of Curcuma longa (turmeric) rhizomes stimulates insulin release and mimics insulin action on tissues involved in glucose homeostasis in vitro
Phytother Res. 2011 Mar;25(3):396-401. doi: 10.1002/ptr.3275. Epub 2010 Aug 23
"water soluble compounds of turmeric exhibit insulin releasing and mimicking actions within in vitro tissue culture conditions."
Wickenberg J, Ingemansson SL, Hlebowicz J
Effects of Curcuma longa (turmeric) on postprandial plasma glucose and insulin in healthy subjects
Nutrition Journal. 2010;9:43. doi:10.1186/1475-2891-9-43
"The present study shows that the ingestion of C. longa increased postprandial serum insulin levels, but did not affect plasma glucose levels or GI in healthy subjects. The results indicate that C. longa may have an effect on insulin secretion."
Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2009 Oct 16;388(2):377-82
Curcumin activates AMPK and suppresses gluconeogenic gene expression in hepatoma cells
Kim T, Davis J, Zhang AJ, He X, Mathews ST
In vitro, curcumin did not improve insulin receptor activity, nor did it increase glucose uptake into cells. One curcumin product appeared to reduce celullar glucose uptake, which could presumably increase blood glucose levels. However curcumin/THC did activate AMPK.
Curcumin and pituitary tumours
J Endocrinol September 1, 2012 214389-398
Curcumin suppresses HIF1A synthesis and VEGFA release in pituitary adenomas
B Shan, C Schaaf, A Schmidt, K Lucia, M Buchfelder, M Losa, D Kuhlen, J Kreutzer, M J Perone, E Arzt, G K Stalla and U Renner
In vitro research.
Endocrine-Related Cancer (2009) 16 1339–1350
Curcumin acts as anti-tumorigenic and hormone-suppressive agent in murine and human pituitary tumour cells in vitro and in vivo
C Schaaf, B Shan, M Buchfelder, M Losa, J Kreutzer, W Rachinger, G K Stalla, T Schilling, E Arzt, M J Perone and U Renner
1 mg curcumin was injected directly into mice with pituitary cell tumours in their flanks 3 x week.
Matthew Miller, Shenglin Chen, Jeffrey Woodliff, and Sanjay Kansra
Curcumin (Diferuloylmethane) Inhibits Cell Proliferation, Induces Apoptosis, and Decreases Hormone Levels and Secretion in Pituitary Tumor Cells
Endocrinology. Aug 2008; 149(8): 4158–4167.
Curcumin and high fat diets/lipid metabolism
PLoS One. 2013; 8(11): e81252 Published online Nov 19, 2013
Curcuma longa Extract Associated with White Pepper Lessens High Fat Diet-Induced Inflammation in Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue
Audrey M. Neyrinck, Maud Alligier, Patrick B. Memvanga, Elodie Névraumont, Yvan Larondelle, Véronique Préat, Patrice D. Cani, and Nathalie M. Delzenne
The study fed 0.1% diet curcumin and 0.01% diet white pepper (for piperine) to mice on a high fat diet for 4 weeks. This would be the equivalent of 10 g curcumin or 200 - 500 g turmeric, and 1 g white pepper, for a 500 kg horse eating 2% BW (10 kg). Curcumin did not prevent weight loss or fat gain, didn't improve glucose or lipid homeostasis. The treatment did down regulate IL6 and TNF alpha (pro-inflammatory cytokines) in subcutaneous adipose tissue back towards normal levels (i.e. levels seen in mice not on a high fat diet), but not in other tissue, e.g. liver or colon. At this level of feeding, curcumin was not detected in the blood.
Curcumin and iron
Curcumin has the potential to affect systemic iron metabolism and may function as an iron chelator:
Redox Biol. 2014; 2: 563–569. Published online Feb 28, 2014
Curcumin may impair iron status when fed to mice for six months
Dawn Chin, Patricia Huebbe, Jan Frank, Gerald Rimbach, and Kathrin Pallauf
"In conclusion, the presented data suggest a potentially adverse biological activity of high-dose curcumin supplementation that might lead to impaired iron absorption and status."
Blood. Jan 8, 2009; 113(2): 462–469.
Curcumin, a cancer chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agent, is a biologically active iron chelatorYan Jiao, John Wilkinson, Xiumin Di, Wei Wang, Heather Hatcher, Nancy D. Kock, Ralph D'Agostino Jr, Mary Ann Knovich, Frank M. Torti and Suzy V. Torti
"these results demonstrate that curcumin has the potential to affect systemic iron metabolism. There are 2 important implications of these results. First, iron chelators have been shown to exert antitumor effects, both through the formation of redox-active iron complexes and by iron depletion. Thus, reduction in systemic iron resulting from the use of curcumin in the setting of a low-iron diet may contribute to the anticancer activity of curcumin. Second, curcumin may have the potential to contribute to the development of anemia in patients with marginal iron status. This may be an important consideration when curcumin is used to treat patients with marginal or depleted iron stores or those exhibiting the anemia of cancer and chronic disease."
Could curcumin help reduce horses suspected of having iron overload?
Could curcumin be contra-indicated for horses with anaemia of chronic disease?
Curcumin and liver disease
Nabavi, S. F., Daglia, M., Moghaddam, A. H., Habtemariam, S. and Nabavi, S. M. (2014)
Curcumin and Liver Disease: from Chemistry to Medicine
Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 13: 62–77
Side effects and precautions
Turmeric - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre
"Patients with bile duct obstruction, gallstones, and GI disorders including stomach ulcers and hyperacidity disorders should not take this supplement."
International Journal of Cancer Volume 126, Issue 7, Article first published online: 14 OCT 2009
The dark side of curcumin
Estefanıa Burgos-Moron, , Jose Manuel Calderon-Montano, Javier Salvador, Antonio Robles and Miguel Lopez-Lazaro
Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2008 Oct;16(10):1205-12. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2008.01.013. Epub 2008 Mar 5
Comparison between chondroprotective effects of glucosamine, curcumin, and diacerein in IL-1beta-stimulated C-28/I2 chondrocytes
Toegel S, Wu SQ, Piana C, Unger FM, Wirth M, Goldring MB, Gabor F, Viernstein H
Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2009 Jan;17(1):135-6; author reply 137. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2008.07.006. Epub 2008 Sep 3
Comment on: comparison between chondroprotective effects of glucosamine, curcumin and diacerein in IL-1beta-stimulated C-28/I2 chondrocytes
Clutterbuck A, Harris P, Mobasheri A
"our recent observations suggest that high concentrations of curcumin (i.e. 50 to 100 μM) are also toxic to primary articular chondrocytes. In conclusion, we wish to thank the authors for bringing this apparent toxicity of curcumin to our attention."
Toxicol. Sci. (June 2006) 91 (2):476-483
Mitochondrial and Nuclear DNA Damage Induced by Curcumin in Human Hepatoma G2 Cells
Jun Cao, Li Jia, Hui-Min Zhou, Yong Liu and Lai-Fu Zhong
This research found that at high doses, curcumin imposed oxidative stress and damaged DNA, and concludes: "Consuming high doses of curcumin should be avoided, and the coingestion of piperine-containing foods with curcumin should be limited."
Of 15 people taking between 450 and 3,600 mg curcumin daily, 2 developed diarrhoea (one taking 450 mg, one taking 3,600 mg), and 1 (taking 900 mg) developed self-limiting nausea. Serum alkaline phosphatase increased in 4/15, lactate dehydrogenase increased in 3/15.
A Shehzad, S Khan, O Shehzad, YS Lee
Curcumin: therapeutic promises and bioavailability in colorectal cancer
Drugs of Today 2010, 46(7): 523-532
Side effects reported: gastrointestinal upset, chest tightness, inflamed skin and skin rashes with high doses. Contact dermatitis has been reported. The chronic use of curcumin can cause liver toxicity and people with hepatic disease, misusing alcohol or taking prescription drugs that are metabolized by the liver should probably avoid curcumin. Curcumin is not recommended for people with biliary tract obstruction , gall stones, obstructive jaundice or acute biliary colic diseases. 20-40 mg of curcumin has been reported to increase gallbladder contractions in healthy people.
Turmeric - University of Maryland Medical Centre (updated May 2013)
"Herbs ... can trigger side effects and may interact with other herbs, supplements, or medications. For these reasons, you should take herbs with care, under the supervision of a health care provider."
Turmeric in food is considered safe. Large amounts of turmeric taken for a long time may cause stomach upset and ulcers. Turmeric may lower blood sugar levels and when combined with medications for diabetes could cause hypoglycaemia. Turmeric may act as a blood-thinner.
Interactions with drugs
Turmeric interacts with many drugs.
Turmeric - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre
"Curcumin may also interact with drugs that are substrates of P-glycoprotein (P-gp)", "Curcumin was shown to downregulate intestinal P-gp levels", "Curcumin inhibited intestinal P-gp expression and function".
Pergolide appears to be a P-gp/ABCB1 substrate (see P-glycoprotein):
Neurosci Lett. 2008 Sep 5;442(1):19-23
Interactions between antiparkinsonian drugs and ABCB1/P-glycoprotein at the blood-brain barrier in a rat brain endothelial cell model
Vautier S, Milane A, Fernandez C, Buyse M, Chacun H, Farinotti R
"levodopa, bromocriptine, pergolide and pramipexole were ABCB1 substrates"
The use of turmeric/curcumin in horses
Wuest S, Atkinson RL, Bland SD, Hastings D
A Pilot Study on the Effects of Curcumin on Parasites, Inflammation, and Opportunistic Bacteria in Riding Horses
JEVS October 2017 Vol 57, Pages 46–50
6 horses were fed 15 g of 95% pure curcumin each day for 30 days and blood and fecal sample results compared to controls. Curcumin treatment had no effect on total fecal egg count, strongyles, or ascarids, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), although ESR decreased on day 14 in curcumin treated horses. Treatment had no effect on concentrations of Streptococcus bovis/equinus complex, Clostridium difficile, or Clostridium perfringens. "Curcumin was not an effective compound against intestinal parasites or fecal microbial strains examined when administered for 30 days; but could potentially decrease inflammation."
Bland, Stephanie
Therapeutic and Safety Evaluation of Curcumin's Antimicrobial and Anti-inflammatory Properties on Canine and Equine
PhD dissertation 2016
Harris PA, Gee HW
‘Unusual’ feeds for performance horses
EAAP 2006
Farinacci M, Gaspardo B, Colitti M, Stefanon B
Dietary administration of curcumin modifies transcriptional profile of genes involved in inflammatory cascade in horse leukocytes
Ital J Anim Sci 2009;8(Suppl 2):84-86
2 g CurcuVET per 500 kg horse was fed, and no controls were used. CurcuVET, according to the manufacturers, has superior bioavailability compared to ordinary curcumin.
(in vitro) F1000 Research published August 2013
Curcumin reduces prostaglandin E2, matrix metalloproteinase-3 and proteoglycan release in the secretome of interleukin 1β-treated articular cartilage
Abigail L Clutterbuck, David Allaway, Pat Harris, Ali Mobasheri
This research using cells from dead horses found that higher levels of curcumin (25μM and above) significantly increased chondrocyte (cartilage cells) death, but lower concentrations (12μM and below) had an anti-inflammatory effect and no obvious cytotoxic effects on cartilage. The paper concludes that curcumin may be useful for the treatment of inflammatory and degenerative disorders such as osteoarthritis, but that the bioavailability of curcumin may be low, care must be taken extrapolating in vitro results to use in live animals, and "further research is required to establish its bioavailability and physiologically relevant serum and synovial concentrations in vivo in humans and animals."
NB earlier research by the same team using only 25μM and above concentrations of curcumin in vitro established the toxicity of curcumin to cartilage and synovial cells: "DISCUSSION & CONCLUSIONS: Curcumin is cytotoxic to equine chondrocytes and synoviocytes at high doses. These results suggest that using curcumin as an antioxidant and proliferative agent in cultures of stem cells and progenitor cells should be approached with caution."
European Cells and Materials Vol. 16. Suppl. 3, 2008 (page 43)
Toxic Effects of Curcumin (Diferuloylmethane) on Equine Articular Chondrocytes and Synoviocytes In Vitro
AL Clutterbuck, D Allaway, P Harris, A Mobasheri
The Case for Curcumin - Eleanor Kellon, VMD, IVC Issue: V2I3
"Three horses with prominent and/or growing and spreading melanomas were given 1 to 3 ounces/day of ground turmeric. In all cases, the growths shrank and the spread was stopped. Since the behavior of melanomas is unpredictable, this small number of reports cannot rule out the possibility that the growths would have quieted down or shrunk on their own."
Journal of the American Holistic Medical Assoc., 2009, vol. 28, no. 1, 11-15
A PROMISING NATURAL THERAPY FOR EQUINE OSTEOARTHRITIS
Thomas Schell
Note that controls were not used, making this research of limited value, and the dose of curcumin used is not given. Also the product used was not pure curcumin, and the author had a strong bias.