Oral Curcumin for Alzheimer’s disease: Tolerability and efficacy in a 24 week randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study
Alzheimers Res Ther. 2012; 4(5):43
| Oxidative stress and inflammation are involved in propagating pathology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Curcumin having anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties can be useful in treating and preventing AD. It is evident from many other studies that overproduction, aberrant aggregation, or decreased elimination of different forms of amyloid beta protein (Aβ) are critical in pathogenesis of AD. Whereas Curcumin having biphenolic structure binds to amyloid plaques in vivo, prevents Aβ-induced toxicity in vitro, and prevents aggregation of Aβ into fibrils. |
Objective:
To generate tolerability and preliminary clinical and biomarker efficacy data on Curcumin C3 Complex® in persons with mild to moderate AD.
Study Design:
Results and Discussion:
In this 24-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study with 24 week extension, tolerability of Curcumin C3 Complex® 2 g/day and 4 g/day were examined. Curcumin was generally well tolerated although three subjects withdrew due to the gastrointestinal symptoms.
Curcumin C3 Complex® was associated with lowered hematocrit and increased glucose levels that were clinically insignificant. There were no differences between treatment groups in clinical or biomarker efficacy measures.
Conclusion
Previous studies of Curcumin on animal AD models make it a promising avenue in human AD. However, due to difference in biology of rodents and difference in metabolism of Curcumin in rodent and humans, the repeatability of similar effect was not observed.
However, Curcumin was well tolerated for the dose level up to 4 g/day in AD patients. This clinical trial of Curcumin C3 Complex® in AD in 24 week placebo controlled trial also suggested low bioavailability of this compound