Curcumin May Lower Glucose

JEONNAM, Republic of Korea— In a recent study at Sunchon National University, researchers found curcumin to be a potential glucose-lowering agent and antioxidant in type 2 diabetic mice (Mol Nutr Food Res. 2008) (DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.200700184). Diabetic and non-diabetic male mice were fed with or without curcumin (0.02 percent) for six weeks. Curcumin significantly lowered blood glucose, HbA1c levels, hepatic activities of fatty acid synthase, beta-oxidation, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme reductase, and acyl-CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase. It suppressed body weight loss in diabetic mice and improved homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance and glucose tolerance, and elevated the plasma insulin level. Hepatic glucokinase activity was significantly higher in the curcumin-supplemented diabetic group, whereas glucose-6-phosphatase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activities were significantly lower. Curcumin significantly lowered plasma free fatty acid, cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations; increased the hepatic glycogen and skeletal muscle lipoprotein lipase in diabetic mice; and normalized erythrocyte and hepatic antioxidant enzyme activities in diabetic mice that resulted in a significant reduction in lipid peroxidation. However, curcumin showed no effect on the blood glucose, plasma insulin and glucose regulating enzyme activities in non-diabetic mice.