Curcumin protects against Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in human macrophages. - GreenMedInfo Summary
Curcumin enhances human macrophage control of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.
Respirology. 2016 Mar 24. Epub 2016 Mar 24. PMID: 27012592
Xiyuan Bai
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: With the worldwide emergence of highly drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB), novel agents that have direct antimycobacterial effects or that enhance host immunity are urgently needed. Curcumin is a polyphenol responsible for the bright yellow-orange colour of turmeric, a spice derived from the root of the perennial herb Curcuma longa. Curcumin is a potent inducer of apoptosis-an effector mechanism used by macrophages to kill intracellular Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB).
METHODS: An in vitro human macrophage infection model was used to determine the effects of curcumin on MTB survival.
RESULTS: We found that curcumin enhanced the clearance of MTB in differentiated THP-1 human monocytes and in primary human alveolar macrophages. We also found that curcumin was an inducer of caspase-3-dependent apoptosis and autophagy. Curcumin mediated these anti-MTB cellular functions, in part, via inhibition of nuclear factor-kappa B (NFκB) activation.
CONCLUSION: Curcumin protects against MTB infection in human macrophages. The host-protective role of curcumin against MTB in macrophages needs confirmation in an animal model; if validated, the immunomodulatory anti-TB effects of curcumin would be less prone to drug resistance development.