Anti-Oxidative Effect of Curcumin Against Tert-Butylhydroperoxide Induced Oxidative Stress in Human Erythrocytes

Curcumin (diferuloylmethane, 1, 6-heptadiene-3, 5-5dione-1, 7-bis (4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)), a constituent of turmeric (curcuma longa), is traditionally used in various diseases. We report the strong anti-oxidative effect of curcumin on markers of oxidative stress in human erythrocytes subjected to in vitro oxidative stress by incubating with tert-butylhydroperoxide (t-BHP). Results show that curcumin protects erythrocyte lipid peroxidation (MDA-Malondialdehyde) and decrease of glutathione (GSH) during oxidative stress. The quotient of MDA/GSH is high during stress however presence of curcumin (10(-8) M-10(-5) M) decreased the index (MDA/GSH) substantiating the antioxidant effect of curcumin in a model cell system. The effect of curcumin is dose-dependent with maximum effect at 10(-5) M. Since oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of many diseases/conditions, a therapeutic role of curcumin is hypothesized.