New! Sign up for our free email newsletter.
Science News
from research organizations

Curcumin may help overcome drug-resistant tuberculosis

Date:
March 25, 2016
Source:
Wiley
Summary:
New research indicates that curcumin -- a substance in turmeric that is best known as one of the main components of curry powder -- may help fight drug-resistant tuberculosis.
Share:
FULL STORY

New research indicates that curcumin--a substance in turmeric that is best known as one of the main components of curry powder--may help fight drug-resistant tuberculosis. In Asia, turmeric is used to treat many health conditions and it has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and perhaps even anticancer properties.

Investigators found that by stimulating human immune cells called macrophages, curcumin was able to successfully remove Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative bacterium of tuberculosis, from experimentally infected cells in culture. The process relied on inhibiting the activation of a cellular molecule called nuclear factor-kappa B.

The ability of curcumin to modulate the immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis points to a potential new tuberculosis treatment that would be less prone to the development of drug resistance.

"Our study has provided basic evidence that curcumin protects against Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in human cells," said Dr. Xiyuan Bai, lead author of the Respirology study. "The protective role of curcumin to fight drug-resistant tuberculosis still needs confirmation, but if validated, curcumin may become a novel treatment to modulate the host immune response to overcome drug-resistant tuberculosis."


Story Source:

Materials provided by Wiley. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Xiyuan Bai, Rebecca E. Oberley-Deegan, An Bai, Alida R. Ovrutsky, William H. Kinney, Michael Weaver, Gong Zhang, Jennifer R. Honda, Edward D. Chan. Curcumin enhances human macrophage control ofMycobacterium tuberculosisinfection. Respirology, 2016; DOI: 10.1111/resp.12762

Cite This Page:

Wiley. "Curcumin may help overcome drug-resistant tuberculosis." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 25 March 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160325093704.htm>.
Wiley. (2016, March 25). Curcumin may help overcome drug-resistant tuberculosis. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 10, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160325093704.htm
Wiley. "Curcumin may help overcome drug-resistant tuberculosis." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160325093704.htm (accessed November 10, 2024).

Explore More

from ScienceDaily

RELATED STORIES