Phytotherapeutic activity of curcumol: Isolation, GC-MS identification, and assessing potentials against acute and subchronic hyperglycemia, tactile allodynia, and hyperalgesia.
Abstract
CONTEXT: Curcumol has recently attracted special attention due to its potential activities in many chronic disorders. Moreover, the traditional role of turmeric [Curcuma longa L. (Zingiberaceae)] in suppression of hyperglycemia is of great interest. OBJECTIVES: The present work explores the potential acute and subchronic antihyperglycemic, antinociceptive, and in vivo antioxidant effects of curcumol in alloxan-diabetic mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bio-guided fractionation, column-chromatography, and GC-MS were utilized to identify the most active compound of turmeric (curcumol). Turmeric (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg), the curcumol rich fraction (CRF) (7 mg/kg), and curcumol (20, 30, and 40 mg/kg) were assessed for their acute (6 h) and subchronic (8 d) antihyperglycemic potentials and antinociceptive effects (8 weeks) were measured, using hot-plate and tail-flick latencies and von-Frey filaments method and in vivo antioxidant effects in alloxan-diabetic mice. RESULTS: The most-active turmeric fraction was found to be rich in curcumol (45.5%) using GC-MS analysis method. The results proved that the highest dose levels of turmeric extract and curcumol exerted remarkable hypoglycemic activity with 41.4 and 39.3% drop in the mice glucose levels after 6 h, respectively. Curcumol (40 mg/kg) was found to be 9.4% more potent than turmeric extract (100 mg/kg) in subchronic management of diabetes. Curcumol also showed a significant improvement of peripheral nerve function as observed from the latency and tactile tests. DISCUSSION: The antioxidant potential of curcumol may cause its ability to ameliorate diabetes and diabetes-related complications. CONCLUSIONS: Curcumol, a natural metabolite with a good safety-profile, showed results comparable with tramadol in reversing diabetes-induced tactile allodynia and hyperalgesia.
Journal/Conference Information
Journal of Pharmaceutical Biology,DOI: 10.3109/13880209.2015.1077463