An evaluation of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antinociceptive activities of essential oil from Curcuma longa. L

Abstract

Objectives:This study was aimed to evaluate the chemical composition, antioxidant potential in vitro and in vivo, anti-inflammatory, and antinociceptive activity of turmeric oil.Materials and Methods:Chemical analysis of turmeric oil was done by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Antioxidant activities in vitro was done by six different methods and in vivo antioxidant activity was determined by measuring superoxide generation from macrophages treated with phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) as well as determining antioxidant level after feeding the oil orally for one month. Anti-inflammatory activity was studied in mice using carrageenan, dextran, and formalin. Antinociceptive activity was evaluated by using acetic acid-induced writhing movement in mice.Results:The main constituent of essential oil of turmeric was found to be ar-turmerone (61.79%), curlone (12.48%), and ar-curcumene (6.11%). Turmeric oil was found to have in vitro antioxidant activity and IC50 for scavenging superoxides, hydroxyl radicals, and lipid peroxidation were 135 μg/ml, 200 μg/ml, and 400 μg/ml, respectively. The ferric-reducing activity for 50 μg of turmeric essential oil was found to be 5 mM. Intraperitoneal administration of oil was found to inhibit PMA-induced superoxide radicals elicited by macrophages. Oral administration of turmeric oil for one month to mice significantly increased superoxide dismutase, glutathione, and glutathione reductase enzyme levels in blood and glutathione-S-transferase and superoxide dismutase enzymes in liver. Turmeric oil showed significant reduction in paw thickness in carrageenan, dextran-induced acute inflammation, and formalin-induced chronic inflammation. The drug produced significant antinociceptive activity (P < 0.001) at all doses studied.Conclusions:These results demonstrated that turmeric oil has potential health benefits as it can scavenge the free radicals and produce significant anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities.

Effect of Essential Oils from Ginger (Zingiber officinale) and Turmeric (Curcuma longa) Rhizomes on Some Inflammatory Biomarkers in Cadmium Induced Neurotoxicity in Rats

“…This is an indication that the essential oils exert immunomodulatory activity and offer neuroprotection against inflammatory processes associated with neurodegeneration. This activity could be attributed to the volatile compounds present ( Table 1 ) that have been extensively studied for their anti-inflammatory properties and their ability to inhibit inflammatory mediators [ 9 , 14 , 21 , 22 ].…”

Effect of turmeric on colon histology, body weight, ulcer, IL-23, MPO and glutathione in acetic-acid-induced inflammatory bowel disease in rats

“…This is the first report of its kind on the effect of turmeric on experimental colitis in rats using 4 % acetic acid. The only other similar study was on the antinociceptive effect of CL on acetic acid-induced writhing movement in mice [ 32 ], the effect of its active constituent, curcumin, on dinitrobenzene-induced experimental colitis [ 33 ] and the effect of curcumin, but not turmeric, on oxido-inflammatory regulation in a rat model of acetic acid-induced colitis [ 34 ]. Other studies on the effect of turmeric were done on experimental arthritis and not on experimental colitis.…”

Biological Activities of Essential Oils: From Plant Chemoecology to Traditional Healing Systems

“…An isolate from turmeric oil has been reported to have antimutagenic activity thought to be mediated through its antioxidant activity [ 256 ]. The essential oil from C. longa rhizome is a complex mixture obtained by steam distillation, and twelve components were identified by GC-MS analysis: ar-turmerone (61%), curlone (11.2%), and cucumene (5.5%) were the most abundant compounds [ 257 ].…”