Curcumin and inflammation in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a randomized, placebo controlled clinical trial

Saeede Saadati; Amir Sadeghi; Asieh Mansour; Zahra Yari; Hossein Poustchi; Mehdi Hedayati; Behzad Hatami; Azita Hekmatdoost

doi:10.1186/s12876-019-1055-4

Curcumin and inflammation in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a randomized, placebo controlled clinical trial

BMC Gastroenterol. 2019 Jul 25;19(1):133. doi: 10.1186/s12876-019-1055-4.

Authors

Saeede Saadati¹, Amir Sadeghi², Asieh Mansour¹, Zahra Yari¹, Hossein Poustchi³, Mehdi Hedayati⁴, Behzad Hatami², Azita Hekmatdoost⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Nutrition and Food Technology, National Nutrition and Food Technology, Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
² Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
³ Liver and pancreatobiliary research group, Digestive Disease Research Institute, Tehran, Iran.
⁴ Cellular and Molecular Endocrine Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
⁵ Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Nutrition and Food Technology, National Nutrition and Food Technology, Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. a_hekmat2000@yahoo.com.

Abstract

Background: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of curcumin supplementation on inflammatory indices, and hepatic features in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Methods: Fifty patients with NAFLD were randomized to receive lifestyle modification advice plus either 1500 mg curcumin or the same amount of placebo for 12 weeks.

Results: Curcumin supplementation was associated with significant decrease in hepatic fibrosis (p < 0.001), and nuclear factor-kappa B activity (p < 0.05) as compared with the baseline. Hepatic steatosis and serum level of liver enzymes, and tumor necrosis-α (TNF-α) significantly reduced in both groups (p < 0.05). None of the changes were significantly different between two groups.

Conclusion: Our results indicated that curcumin supplementation plus lifestyle modification is not superior to lifestyle modification alone in amelioration of inflammation.

Trial registration: IRCT20100524004010N24, this trial was retrospectively registered on May 14, 2018.

Keywords: Curcumin; Fatty liver; Inflammation; NAFLD; NASH.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / administration & dosage
Curcumin / administration & dosage*
Female
Humans
Inflammation* / drug therapy
Inflammation* / pathology
Liver Function Tests / methods
Liver* / drug effects
Liver* / pathology
Male
Middle Aged
NF-kappa B / analysis
Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease* / blood
Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease* / pathology
Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease* / psychology
Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease* / therapy
Risk Reduction Behavior*
Treatment Outcome
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / analysis

Substances

Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal
NF-kappa B
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
Curcumin