Alcoholic liver diseases are classified as one of the major reasons for worldwide morbidity and mortality. Curcuminoids exhibit a wide range of pharmacological activities that are beneficial for health, including hepatoprotective effects, but its clinical significance is limited due to poor oral bioavailability. In the present study, a novel formulation of curcumin as curcumin-galactomannosides (CGM) with enhanced oral bioavailability alleviated alcohol-induced liver damage in wistar rats with an increased potency compared to the unformulated natural curcuminoids (CM). Ethanol administration significantly elevated liver toxicity markers, lipid peroxidation and inflammatory markers with a simultaneous reduction in antioxidant defenses. Supplementation of CGM reversed all of the pathological effects of alcohol administration, almost close to the normal level, when compared with CM. Histopathology of liver tissue also confirmed the better protective effect of CGM, indicating the enhancement in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects as a function of bioavailability.
Keywords: alcohol; curcumagalactomannoside; curcumin; hepatoprotective; inflammation.
© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.