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World J Methodol. Mar 26, 2016; 6(1): 112-117
Published online Mar 26, 2016. doi: 10.5662/wjm.v6.i1.112
Potential effects of curcumin on peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ in vitro and in vivo
Mohsen Mazidi, Ehsan Karimi, Mohsen Meydani, Majid Ghayour-Mobarhan, Gordon A Ferns
Mohsen Mazidi, Key State Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Mohsen Mazidi, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, International College, University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100101, China
Ehsan Karimi, Majid Ghayour-Mobarhan, Biochemistry of Nutrition Research Center, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Science, Mashhad 9138813944, Iran
Mohsen Meydani, Vascular Biology Laboratory, Jean Mayer USDA-Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, United States
Majid Ghayour-Mobarhan, Cardiovascular Research Center, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Science, Mashhad 9138813944, Iran
Gordon A Ferns, Division of Medical Education, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Rm 342, Mayfield House, University of Brighton, Brighton BN1 9PH, United Kingdom
Author contributions: Mazidi M, Meydani M and Ghayour-Mobarhan M designed the research; Mazidi M and Ghayour-Mobarhan M wrote the first draft; Mazidi M and Karimi E performed the research; Meydani M and Ferns GA revised the paper.
Conflict-of-interest statement: None.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Correspondence to: Majid Ghayour-Mobarhan, MD, MSc, PhD, Cardiovascular Research Center, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Science, Paradise Daneshghah, Azadi Square, Mashhad 9138813944, Iran. ghayourm@mums.ac.ir
Telephone: +98-915-5171478 Fax: +98-511-7112596
Received: December 18, 2015
Peer-review started: December 21, 2015
First decision: January 21, 2016
Revised: February 1, 2016
Accepted: March 7, 2016
Article in press: March 9, 2016
Published online: March 26, 2016
Abstract

Natural peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) agonists are found in food and may be important for health through their anti-inflammatory properties. Curcumin (Cur) is a bright yellow spice, derived from the rhizome of Curcuma longa Linn. It has been shown to have many biological properties that appear to operate through diverse mechanisms. Some of these potentially beneficial effects of Cur are due to activation of the nuclear transcription factor PPAR-γ. It is reported (using in vitro and in vivo models) that Cur plays a potential role against several diseases. In this review article, we present the current literature on the effects of Cur on the modulation of inflammatory processes that are mediated through PPAR-γ.

Keywords: Curcumin, Anti-inflammatory, Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ

Core tip: In this short review, we highlight the potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin (Cur), discussing its impact on peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) receptor function and its effects in vitro and in vivo. Cur affects the PPAR-γ gene and prevents cell growth through effects on the cell cycle and induction of apoptosis. It is also well-established that Cur has anti-inflammatory effects in vivo through regulation of the PPAR-γ receptor, which leads to the suppression of nuclear factor kappa B, a pro-inflammatory mediator.