Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin
Online ISSN : 1347-5215
Print ISSN : 0918-6158
ISSN-L : 0918-6158
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Elucidation of Anti-allergic Activities of Curcumin-Related Compounds with a Special Reference to Their Anti-oxidative Activities
Makoto SuzukiTomonori NakamuraSachi IyokiAkihiro FujiwaraYuhya WatanabeKunihiko MohriKimiaki IsobeKageyoshi OnoShingo Yano
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2005 Volume 28 Issue 8 Pages 1438-1443

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Abstract

The anti-allergic and anti-oxidative activities of curcumin-related compounds (glycosides, reductants and bis-demethoxy analogs) were investigated to elucidate the underlying active mechanisms and structural features of curcumin in exerting these activities. The anti-allergic activities were assessed by measurement of histamine release from rat basophilic leukemia cells, RBL-2H3. Curcumin and tetrahydrocurcumin (THC) caused a marked decrease in histamine release. Glycosides of curcumin, bis-demethoxycurcumin and THC also inhibited the release of histamine, though less potently than curcumin did. The anti-oxidative activities were assessed by measurement of cell-free or cellular radical scavenging. All compounds but diglycosides or bis-demethoxycurcumin analogs distinctly exerted anti-oxidative effects. The relationship between both of these activities revealed that all compounds with potent radical scavenging activities caused a definite decrease in histamine release, but some compounds with non-potent radical scavenging activities also inhibited the histamine release. These results suggest that the hydroxy groups of curcumin play a significant role in exerting both the anti-oxidative and anti-allergic activities, and that most of the compounds develop the anti-allergic activities through mechanisms related to anti-oxidative activities, but some through mechanisms unrelated to anti-oxidation activity.

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© 2005 The Pharmaceutical Society of Japan
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