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Oxidative stress is an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidant systems to cause chronic diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's 1. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and free radicals, such as hydroxyl radicals and hydrogen peroxide are produced in the human body during normal metabolic pathways and exposure to exogenous stress such as ionizing radiation and air pollutions can induce adverse effects on the normal physiological activity of cells. The body's system is equipped with antioxidant defense and enzymes which neutralize the ROS. Unfortunately, enhancement of ROS levels or less ability of detoxification of the antioxidant defense system, can lead to increased oxidative stress and turn cell damage and death 2-4. Antioxidants act as protective effects on the cells so that they can protect it from damages caused by unexpectedly and uncontrollably produced ROS 5,6. Although a number of synthetic and natural antioxidant compounds have already been identified, the search for effective antioxidant and lesser side effects and toxicity is being continued. Turmeric is one of the plants that contain natural active ingredients and safe. Curcumin or frolyl methane is a hydrophobic polyphenol derived from the rhizome of the plant turmeric (Curcuma longa). Turmeric

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We designed a study to induce differentiation of Oct4-GFP (expression of Green Fluorescent Protein of oct4) embryonic stem cells (ESCs) by embryoid body (EB) culture system into germ cells (GCs) using retinoic acid (RA) and evaluated the expression level of (Fkbp6, Mov10l1, 4930432K21Rik, and Tex13) in differentiated cells. The expression levels of four GC-related genes, Oct4, Mvh, Scp3, and Stra8, was determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (q-RT-PCR). Immunostaining and flow cytometry were used as additional tests to confirm q-RT-PCR findings. A significant increase occurred in the expression of meiotic markers and specific genes, Fkbp6 (p = 0.00), Mov10l1 (p = 0.01), and Tex13 (p = 0.00) in ESCs treated with RA (+RA) compared with the controls (-RA). Oct4 expression was decreased in all studied groups. The expression levels of 4930432K21Rik, Mvh, Stra8, and Scp3 in the +RA group was higher than that of the -RA group. Flow cytometry analysis showed that mean number of Mvh-positive cells in the +RA group was greater as compared with ESCs, -RA and EB7 groups (p = 0.00). Downregulation of Oct4 as a pluripotency factor as well as the expression of meiosis markers, this hypothesis is raised that ESCs are differentiated by RA, and have been introduced into the zygote/pachytene of first meiosis as GC-like cells.