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Merck

Molecular understanding of curcumin in diabetic nephropathy.

Drug discovery today (2013-05-09)
Vivian Soetikno, Kenji Suzuki, Punniyakoti T Veeraveedu, Somasundaram Arumugam, Arun P Lakshmanan, Hirohito Sone, Kenichi Watanabe
ABSTRACT

Diabetic nephropathy is characterized by a plethora of signaling abnormalities. Recent trials have suggested that intensive glucose-lowering treatment leads to hypoglycemic events, which can be dangerous. Curcumin is the active ingredient of turmeric, which has been widely used in many countries for centuries to treat numerous diseases. The preventive and therapeutic properties of curcumin are associated with its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Here, we highlight the renoprotective role of curcumin in diabetes mellitus (DM) with an emphasis on the molecular basis of this effect. We also briefly discuss the numerous approaches that have been undertaken to improve the pharmacokinetics of curcumin.

MATERIALS
Product Number
Brand
Product Description

Sigma-Aldrich
Curcumin, from Curcuma longa (Turmeric), powder
Sigma-Aldrich
Curcumin, ≥94% (curcuminoid content), ≥80% (Curcumin)
Supelco
Curcumin, analytical standard
Supelco
Curcumin, matrix substance for MALDI-MS, ≥99.5% (HPLC)
USP
Curcumin, United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Reference Standard
Curcumin, primary reference standard