Turmeric Prevents Experimental Rheumatoid Arthritis, Bone Loss,
University Of Arizona Study Shows
Article Date: 03 Nov 2006 - 0:00am (PST)

An ancient spice, long used in traditional Asian medicine, may hold
promise for the prevention of both rheumatoid arthritis and
osteoporosis, according to a recently completed study at The University
of Arizona College of Medicine.

Turmeric, the spice that flavors and gives its yellow color to many
curries and other foods, has been used for centuries by practitioners
of Ayurvedic medicine to treat inflammatory disorders. Turmeric extract
containing the ingredient curcumin is marketed widely in the Western
world as a dietary supplement for the treatment and prevention of a
variety of disorders, including arthritis.

At the UA College of Medicine, Janet L. Funk, MD, working with Barbara
N. Timmermann, PhD, then-director of the National Institutes of Health
(NIH)-funded Arizona Center for Phytomedicine Research at the UA, set
out to determine whether (and how) turmeric works as an anti-arthritic.
They began by preparing their own extracts from the rhizome, or root,
of the plant, providing themselves with well-characterized materials to
test and to compare with commercially available products. (Dr.
Timmermann since has joined the faculty of the University of Kansas,
Lawrence, Kan.)

Dr. Funk and her colleagues then tested in animal models a whole
extract of turmeric root, only the essential oils, and an oil-depleted
extract containing the three major curcuminoids found in the rhizome.
Of the three extracts, the one containing the major curcuminoids was
most similar in chemical composition to commercially available turmeric
dietary supplements. It also was the most effective, completely
inhibiting the onset of rheumatoid arthritis.

Dr. Funk, an endocrinologist in the UA Department of Medicine, says
this study provides several noteworthy "firsts." Completed with the
researchers' own prepared, well-defined extracts, the study represents
the first documentation of the chemical composition of a
curcumin-containing extract tested in a living organism, in vivo, for
anti-arthritic efficacy. It also provides the first evidence of
anti-arthritic efficacy of a complex turmeric extract that is analogous
in composition to turmeric dietary supplements.

The significance, she explains, is that translating the results of
trials such as these to clinical use depends on accurate information
about the chemical content and biological activity of the botanical
supplements available for use. This work paves the way for the
preclinical and clinical trials needed before turmeric supplements can
be recommended for medicinal use in preventing or suppressing
rheumatoid arthritis.

This study also provides the first in vivo documentation of a mechanism
of action - how curcumin-containing extracts protect against arthritis.
The researchers found that the curcuminoid extract inhibits a
transcription factor called NF-KB from being activated in the joint. A
transcription factor is a protein that controls when genes are switched
on or off. Once the transcription factor NF-KB is activated, or turned
on, it binds to genes and enhances production of inflammatory proteins,
destructive to the joint. The finding that curcuminoid extract inhibits
activation of NF-KB suggests that turmeric dietary supplements share
the same mechanism of action as anti-arthritic pharmaceuticals under
development that target NF-KB. It also suggests that turmeric may have
a use in other inflammatory disorders, such as asthma, multiple
sclerosis and inflammatory bowel disease.

In addition to preventing joint inflammation, Dr. Funk's study shows
that the curcuminoid extract blocked the pathway that affects bone
resorption. Noting that bone loss associated with osteoporosis in women
typically begins before the onset of menopause, she has begun work on
another NIH-funded study to determine whether turmeric taken as a
dietary supplement during perimenopause can prevent bone loss and
osteoporosis. Both of the studies are supported by the National Center
for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and the Office of
Dietary Supplements (ODS), both of the NIH.

An initial publication of the rheumatoid arthritis study results in the
Journal of Natural Products, which was among the most-accessed articles
from April-June 2006 in this prestigious American Chemical Society
journal, is being followed by more detailed study results, which will
appear in the November 2006 issue of the American College of
Rheumatology flagship journal, Arthritis and Rheumatism. The article,
"Efficacy and Mechanism of Action of Turmeric Supplements in the
Treatment of Experimental Arthritis," appeared in the online issue of
Arthritis and Rheumatism Oct. 30, 2006.

###

Contributors to the study include Janet L. Funk, MD; Jennifer B. Frye;
Janice N. Oyarzo, MS; Nesrin Kuscuoglu, PhD; Jonathan Wilson; Gwen
McCaffrey, PhD; Gregory Stafford; Guanjie Chen, MD; R. Clark Lantz,
PhD; Shivanand D. Jolad, PhD; Aniko M. Soìlyom, PhD; Pawel R. Kiela,
DVM, PhD; and Barbara N. Timmermann, PhD.

Contact: Janet Funk, M.D.
University of Arizona Health Sciences Center

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