Curcumin, a principal component responsible for the yellow color in the Indian spice, turmeric, has been previously suggested to possess anticancer properties. Now, according to a recent study reported by researchers at the Medical College of Georgia, USA, curcumin may also have the potential to reduce the size of hemorrhagic stroke.
In order to determine the effect of curcumin on intracranial hemorrhages, Jay McCracken, a second-year medical student at the Medical College of Georgia, and colleagues, injected curcumin dissolved in corn oil into the abdomen of animal models with hemorrhagic stroke. Curcumin was administered thrice, over a period of three hours. The study results showed that curcumin significantly reduced the size of blood clots in the mice models. The researchers speculate that the potent anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effect of curcumin could be the cause for the reduction in the size of blood clot. The researchers are currently working on the timing and optimal dose of curcumin administration, either via intravenous route for emergency treatment or in concentrated tablet form, for those at risk of hemorrhagic stroke.
Hemorrhagic stroke, which is less common but more fatal than ischemic stroke, is classified into subarachnoid hemorrhage and intracerebral hemorrhage, based on the part of the brain affected. Vitamin K, transfusion of platelets and fresh frozen plasma, and intravenous administration of clotting factors, are the mainstay treatments for intracerebral hemorrhage. Surgery is rarely performed to remove the clot and relieve the intracranial pressure. However, surgery is the usual treatment of choice in subarachnoid hemorrhage. The surgery may involve aneurysm clipping, or endovascular coiling, in which metal coils are inserted within the aneurysm to block further bleeding. Hemorrhagic stroke affects 50,000 to 60,000 US individuals annually, and it can result in several devastating consequences, including death which occurs within a month in around 40% of cases.
In another recent study, Zhao, et al. (Brain Research, 2008) reported the neuroprotective effect of curcumin in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury. The study, conducted on animal models, demonstrated a significant diminution of infarct volume and improvement in neurological deficits after administering 100-300 mg/kg i.p. of curcumin, 60 minutes after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), in a dose-dependant manner. The expression of caspase-3 protein (responsible for apoptotic cell death) and the number of TUNEL-positive cells (mostly interstitial cells responsible for size of the infarct) in the periphery of the infarct were significantly decreased in the treated group. This suggested the neuroprotective effect of curcumin against cerebral ischemic injury due, at least in part, to its anti-apoptotic effect.
In addition to its neuroprotective properties, extensive research in the last two decades has documented the anti-oxidant, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-cancer activity of curcumin. It has also been demonstrated that curcumin plays a major role as an anti-inflammatory agent in many chronic illnesses such as autoimmune, metabolic, neurodegenerative, pulmonary, and neoplastic diseases. Curcumin could be used as a multi-targeted therapy in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases including cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and many pro-inflammatory diseases such as diabetes, allergies, arthritis, and malignant diseases.
Incorporating turmeric (curcumin) into the daily diet may also confer potential preventive benefits to stroke-prone patients. However, successful replication of the study results in human clinical trials is essential to confirm on the advantages and safety of curcumin for patients suffering from head trauma and stroke.
References
1. Indian spice reduces size of hemorrhagic stroke. Press Release. Medical College of Georgia. Last Accessed Sept 24, 2008.
2. Zhao J, Zhao Y, Zheng W, Lu Y, Feng G, Yu S.. Neuroprotective effect of curcumin on transient focal cerebral ischemia in rats. Brain Res. 2008 Sep 10;1229:224-32. Epub 2008 Jul 8.
3. Aggarwal BB, Sundaram C, Malani N, Ichikawa H. Curcumin: the Indian solid gold. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2007;595:1-75.
4. Goel A, Kunnumakkara AB, Aggarwal BB. Curcumin as “Curecumin”: from kitchen to clinic. Biochem Pharmacol. 2008 Feb 15;75(4):787-809. Epub 2007 Aug 19.
