Synergistic anti-inflammatory effects of low doses of curcumin with EPA & DHA

Biochem Pharmacol. 2009 Sep 7.
Synergistic anti-inflammatory effects of low doses of curcumin in combination with polyunsaturated fatty acids: docosahexaenoic acid or eicosapentaenoic acid.
Saw CL, Huang Y, Kong AN.

Center for Cancer Prevention Research, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ-08854, United States; Department of Pharmaceutics, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ-08854, United States.

Inflammatory response plays an important role in the normal physiology but also in pathology such as cancers. As chronic inflammations are associated with malignancies, it is important to prevent inflammation-mediated neoplastic formation, promotion and/or progression. One possible intervention will be using cancer chemopreventive agents such as curcumin (CUR), a potent anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative stress compound. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) or eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are potent anti-inflammatory agents by decreasing the production of inflammatory eicosanoids, cytokines, and reactive oxygen species (ROS). The present study aims at examining whether CUR with DHA or EPA would have synergistic anti-inflammatory effects in RAW 264.7 cells. Non-toxic concentrations of single and combination of the compounds were investigated at 6h, 12h and 24h. The nitric oxide (NO) suppression effects were most prominent at 24h. All the combinations of CUR and DHA or EPA with lower concentrations of CUR 5muM and 25muM of DHA or EPA were found to have synergistic effects in suppressing LPS-stimulated NO and endogenous NO levels. Importantly, very low doses of CUR 2.5muM and DHA or EPA of 0.78muM could synergistically suppress the LPS-induced prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)). The combinations were also found to suppress iNOS, COX-2, 5-LOX and cPLA(2) but induce HO-1. Taken together, the present study clearly shows the synergistic anti-inflammatory as well as anti-oxidative stress effects of CUR and PUFA.

IH, this study is interesting on so many levels. Thanks!

CS - this does not bode well, I thought more NO is what we want not less......grrrrrrrr

CausticSymmetry wrote:...All the combinations of CUR and DHA or EPA with lower concentrations of CUR 5muM and 25muM of DHA or EPA were found to have synergistic effects in suppressing LPS-stimulated NO and endogenous NO levels...

every day because it might be too potent. If you still have some of it left, how many times per week do you recommend someone taking it? Thanks in advance.

lund - Nothing to worry about here.

Nitric oxide has a very dark side in hair loss. Certain levels of Nitric oxide which are stimulated by either injury, toxic agents such as LPS used in the study induce Nitrosative stress.

Nitric oxide is not always good, and for that matter, TGF-beta is not always bad either, even for hair.

Nitrosative stress is associated with and involved with metalloproteins. There are many antioxidants that will combat this, Ecklonia Cava, Taurine and Curcumin to name a few.

You might have seen some discussion on here about inducible NO synthase (iNOS). This mediates nitrosative stress.

The "good" Nitric oxide you'll find is typically Endothelial NOS (eNOS) which regulates the vascular system.