Adjunctive Therapy with Curcumin for Peptic Ulcer: a Randomized Controlled Trial
Drug Res.2016.66: 1-5
| Peptic ulcer (PU) is a common disease that involves stomach and first part of small intestine causing defects in gastrointestinal mucosa. Helicobacter pylori is the main pathologic cause of peptic ulcer. Around 10% of the world population has been estimated to experience gastric or duodenal ulcer in their life time. Upper abdominal pain, abdominal fullness, gastroesophageal reflux and nausea are the most common symptoms of peptic ulcer, and are jointly known as dyspepsia. Several in vitro and animal studies have reported the inhibitory effect of curcumin on H. pylori , however there are few clinical studies evaluating the efficacy of curcumin supplementation in peptic ulcer. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of adjunctive therapy with curcumin on the eradication of H. pylori infection and severity of dyspepsia in patients with peptic ulcer. |
Objective:
To evaluate the efficacy of Curcumin C3 Complex® as adjunctive therapy on the eradication of H. pylori infection and severity of dyspepsia in patients with PU.
Study Design:
In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with a parallel-group, patients diagnosed with peptic ulcer were assigned to standard H. pylori eradication triple therapy with clarithromycin (500 mg b.i.d.), amoxicillin (1000 mg b.i.d.) and pantoprazole (40 mg b.i.d.), and randomized to receive either Curcumin C3 Complex® (500 mg/day) or placebo as adjunct to standard treatment. Piperine (5mg) was added to each 500 mg curcumin capsule to improve bioavailability.
Results and Discussion:
- Severity of dyspepsia symptoms were evaluated using the Hong Kong dyspepsia index (HKD1). Adjunctive therapy with curcumin was associated with a greater improvement of dyspepsia symptoms according to the HKDI score (change score: − 12.90 ± 2.81 vs. − 9.60 ± 3.39 in the curcumin and control group respectively)
- Number of subjects whose dyspepsia was resolved during the course of treatment was significantly higher in the curcumin (27.6%) vs. placebo (6.7%) group
- Eradication of H. pylori infection was assessed using the urea breath test (UBT) at 4 weeks following the end of treatment. In both groups, 22 out of the 30 subjects (equivalent to 73.3% of subjects) had their infection eradicated
- The Curcumin C3 Complex® supplementation was found to be safe and well tolerated and no drop outs from the trial owing to any adverse effects were reported
- The study concludes that adding curcumin on top of the standard H.pylori treatment regimen improves dyspepsia symptoms with apparently no effect on the eradication rate of H. pylori
Conclusion
Thus Curcumin C3 Complex® along with BioPerine® could be considered as an efficacious adjunct in patients suffering from peptic ulcer with no side effects.