What is curcumin?
Curcumin is a yellow dye. The dye is prepared by extraction of turmeric rhizomes of Curcuma longa kurkumaplant.
Synthesis
In addition to the extraction from the plant, curcumin can also be synthetically prepared by the condensation reaction of acetylacetone (2,4-pentanedione), with two molecules of vanillin. As catalyst, one uses a primary or secondary amine.
The diketone is acetylacetone must exist in the enol form, so that the condensation takes place only on the methyl groups at the ends of the molecule. This is obtained by forming a boron complex of the diketone with boric acid or other boron compound. The water that is formed during the reaction, it must be either removed by distillation (using a Dean-Stark device) or captured with boric oxide or an alkyl borate or phosphate, in order to avoid that the water reacts with the diketone complex.
Nutrition
Curcumin has been approved by European legislation as a food additive with E number E100. It is found in the spice turmeric or turmeric in Indonesian and Indian cuisine, and is the basis of what has become known under the name curry. The concentration of curcumin in pure curcuma powder, sold for use as a culinary herb, is around 3.14%.
Curcumin medical
The substance is an antioxidant, has anti-inflammatory properties and may work metastaseremmend. Curcumin is better in combination with piperine from black pepper. Animal studies are, however, adverse effects occurred because of piperine, namely reproductive and fetal.
Turmeric has traditionally (since 1900 BC.) Is used as a part of the Indian Ayurvedic medicine for the treatment of numerous ailments. Research in the second part of the 20th century, curcumin designated as the source for the biological activity of turmeric. Investigations in laboratories and in animals have many potential curative and preventive effects associated with curcumin. Research in humans are not yet known, although there are many studies are ongoing in the areas of pancreatic and colon cancer, psoriasis, Alzheimer's disease and multiple myeloma.
Studies in laboratories and testing on animals assume that curcumin has a operation in tumors, oxidative processes, cardiac arrhythmia, Alzheimer's disease and inflammation. The properties that counteract inflammation seem to be related to the biosynthesis of eicosanoids. Following that, curcumin may be effective in the treatment of malaria, cancer, HIV, and herpes simplex virus-1 (cold sores). Curcumin acts as a free radical scavenger and antioxidant, and suppresses the lipid peroxidation and oxidative DNA damage.
In a study of the UCLA Center on Aging in Los Angeles in the period 1997-1998, the effect of curcumin was demonstrated in Alzheimer's. The researchers showed in 2001 also showed that curcumin was particularly effective in reducing nerve abnormalities, oxidative damage, the spread of plaque deposition and inflammation. Proved in animal experiments in 2001, the positive effect on plaque and inflammation. On Harvard showed that injections of curcumin in the tail of the mice also led to the reduction of the plaque. UCLA also showed that curcumin along with fish oil offered protection against cognitive deficits.
The potency of anti-carcinogenic as curcumin is derived from the ability of curcumin to induce apoptosis in cancer cells without this having any effect on the healthy cells. Curcumin may be the transcription factor NF-kappaB, which is associated with inflammatory diseases such as cancer, disturb. A study in 2009 indicated that curcumin has a moderating influence on the growth of tumor cells. In 2010 it was shown that in malignant brain tumors curcumin counteracts both the multiplication and migration of cancer cells. When 0.2% curcumin is added to the diet of rats or mice that have been administered carcinogenic compounds, the development of colon cancer is significantly reduced. Also in breast cancer activity of phytoestrogen in curcumin could contribute.
Although many studies suggest that curcumin may be useful in the prevention and treatment of various diseases, the efficacy of curcumin has not been demonstrated in a random and double-blind placebo-controlled studies.
In 2012 was placed in a double-blind study found a positive effect in the prevention of diabetes mellitus type 2. In addition, curcumin slows possible kidney damage caused by diabetes.