Turmeric treatment for Parkinson's

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Turmeric treatment for Parkinson's
Bhargavi Kerur / DNA
Monday, March 22, 2010 8:26 IST=20
http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/report_turmeric-treatment-for-parkinson-
s_1361848
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Bangalore: Turmeric, that quintessential ingredient in many an Indian food=
=20
item, now has one more medicinal property to its name. A collaborative=20
research study, which involved scientists from the National Institute for=20
Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (Nimhans) also, has found that the spice=
=E2=80=99s=20
anti-oxidant property could be effective in treating Parkinson=E2=80=99s di=
sease.=20
Turmeric gets the anti-oxidant property from curcumin, which gives the spic=
e=20
its yellow colour. Curcumin improves the body=E2=80=99s immunity against va=
rious=20
diseases.
=E2=80=9CCurcumin is recognised worldwide for its medicinal property,=E2=80=
=9D said MM=20
Srinivas Bharath, the co-author of the study and a faculty member at the=20
department of neurochemistry, Nimhans. =E2=80=9CIt can be used as a drug fo=
r any kind=20
of disease as it is an anti-oxidant that provides immunity to the body.=E2=
=80=9D
But it cannot be absorbed by the human body cells since it is insoluble in=
=20
water. Scientists from Nimhans, along with researchers from Indo-Russian=20
Centre for Biotechnology in Allahabad, and Cellworks Group Inc in Bangalore=
,=20
=E2=80=9Cimprovised=E2=80=9D curcumin to get round its =E2=80=9Cnon-bio ava=
ilability=E2=80=9D (low absorption=20
rate in the body). =E2=80=9CDuring the experiment, we found positive result=
s for=20
treating Parkinson=E2=80=99s disease,=E2=80=9D Bharath said.
The disease is caused by the loss of neurons =E2=80=94 in the mid-brain =E2=
=80=94 that produce=20
the chemical, dopamine, which controls body movements. Oxidative stress (th=
e=20
presence of free radicals in the body that react with cell molecules and=20
damage the cells) caused by the depletion of the cellular antioxidant,=20
glutathione (GSH), is said to be responsible for the neurodegeneration. Thi=
s=20
then manifests as tremors in limbs and uncontrolled body movements, the=20
symptoms of Parkinson=E2=80=99s disease.
=E2=80=9CCurcumin can prevent the degeneration or the death of the cells,=
=E2=80=9D Bharath=20
said. Besides anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties, curcumin also had=20
therapeutic potential for neurological disorders, he said. It also had the=
=20
ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, he said.
The research team =E2=80=94 G Harish, Rajeswara Babu Mythri, C Venkateshapp=
a, Shiv=20
Kumar Dubey, Krishna Mishra, Neetu Singh, Shireen Vali and MM Srinivas Bhar=
ath=20
=E2=80=94 embarked on the study to increase the solubility of curcumin in t=
he body=20
using bio-conjugates in 2007.
The scientists attached amino acids, which are easily absorbed by the body,=
 to=20
curcumin and injected it into cultured cells. The amino acids easily entere=
d=20
the cells along with curcumin. =E2=80=9COnce curcumin enters the cell, it i=
s de-tagged=20
from the amino acids and carries on its function of preventing the=20
degeneration or death of the cells,=E2=80=9D the co-author explained.
The =E2=80=9Cimprovised=E2=80=9D curcumin can act as a supplementary medici=
ne for treating=20
Parkinson=E2=80=99s disease. =E2=80=9CThe drug available now generates dopa=
mine to control the=20
movement of the body, but it is not able to stop the cells from dying. Henc=
e,=20
it fails to attack the cause,=E2=80=9D Bharath said. =E2=80=9CWhen used wit=
h curcumin, which=20
prevents degeneration of the neuron cells, it can delay the disease.=E2=80=
=9D
Curcumin could also increase the anti-oxidant load responsible for immunity=
 in=20
the body, he said.
The studies, however, were only at experimental stages and yet to go for hu=
man=20
trials, Bharath said. =E2=80=9COnce it goes through human trials it will be=
come the=20
drug to fight any disease,=E2=80=9D he said.
The researchers have successfully tested the efficacy of curcumin in its pu=
rified=20
form in mice. =E2=80=9CWe are planning to test the improvised one soon,=E2=
=80=9D he said.=20
=E2=80=9CNow, there is promise of a molecule that can fight the disease.=E2=
=80=9D

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