CURCUMIN
Curcumin can be found in Turmeric (hind saffron), which is used as a spice that gives yellow color. Turmeric (Curcuma longa, Turmeric, Indian saffron) is a herbaceous perennial herb with yellow flowers, large leaves and tubers belonging to the ginger family, widely grown in China and India. It is produced from the yellow powder of the tropical plant Curcuma longa (Zingiberaceae). The most active ingredient of turmeric spice is curcumin. Curcumin is generally classified as natural and artificial. Curcumin, demethoxycurcumin, bisdimethoxycurcumin are naturally occurring compounds 5,6 (Figure-1). Curcumin is a natural substance that does not show toxic properties in overdose and has been used in local / topical and general use in eastern societies, especially in Indian and Chinese traditional medicine, for skin, gastrointestinal diseases and wound healing. However, the biological effect and molecular mechanisms of Curcumin have been tried to be explained with epidemiological, clinical and animal studies7,8.
The antioxidant effects of curcumin are similar to those of vitamins C and E 9. By facilitating the removal of many reactive oxygen radicals, especially superoxide anion radicals, nitrogen dioxide radicals and hydroxyl radicals, this increases the antioxidant ability. It has been shown to increase the activity of many antioxidant enzymes such as catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and both oxygenase-1 (OH-1) 10. It also suppresses the synthesis of inflammatory prostaglandins that increase oxidant load 11. One of curcumin’s significant properties is that it offers defense against processes of carcinogenesis. It increases the production in the kidneys and liver of xenobiotic detoxifying enzymes and decreases tumor tissue angiogenesis by inhibiting metalloproteinases 12,13. In the cardiovascular system, very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), cholesterol and triglyceride levels have been shown to decrease 14. Furthermore, by inhibiting both the aggregation and adhesion of platelets via cGMP via NO, it prevents thrombus formation 15,16.
Due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, curcumin is believed to be useful in preventing I/R damage to vascular endothelial cells. In our research, we attempted to determine how much curcumin decreases systemic oxidant effects and vascular endothelial damage in rats with experimental I/R damage for this function.