Suppression
Curcumin
Category: Natural chemicals
Type
Voluntary
Introduction and description
Curcumin is the principal curcuminoid of turmeric, which is a member of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae). The curcuminoids are natural phenols that are responsible for the yellow colour of turmeric.
They are indications that it is an iron chelator, but by saying this one rather simplifies the activity, with the risk the activity appears negative which it is not:
Curcumin is among the more successful chemopreventive compounds investigated in recent years, and is currently in human trials to prevent cancer.
The mechanism of action of curcumin is complex and likely multifactorial.
We have made the unexpected observation that curcumin strikingly modulates proteins of iron metabolism in cells and in tissues, suggesting that curcumin has properties of an iron chelator.
Curcumin increased mRNA levels of ferritin and GSTalpha in cultured liver cells. Unexpectedly, however, although levels of GSTalpha protein increased in parallel with mRNA levels in response to curcumin, levels of ferritin protein declined.
Since iron chelators repress ferritin translation, we considered that curcumin may act as an iron chelator. To test this hypothesis, we measured the effect of curcumin on transferrin receptor 1, a protein stabilized under conditions of iron limitation, as well as the ability of curcumin to activate iron regulatory proteins (IRPs).
Both transferrin receptor 1 and activated IRP, indicators of iron depletion, increased in response to curcumin. Consistent with the hypothesis that curcumin acts as an iron chelator, mice that were fed diets supplemented with curcumin exhibited a decline in levels of ferritin protein in the liver. These results suggest that iron chelation may be an additional mode of action of curcumin. PMID: 16545682
Related observations
Healing observations
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- Dr Duke's list of Plant parts with Metal-chelator Activity from the chemical CURCUMIN 018255
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