Metabolic intervention of aflatoxin B1 toxicity by curcumin

Curcumin, bioactive principle of turmeric (Curcuma longa Linn) is an important constituent of Indian traditional medicine. Turmeric has been known to possess several therapeutic properties. The modulatory effect of dietary curcumin (0.05%, w/w) on drug metabolizing and general marker enzymes of liver and formation of AFB1-adducts (DNA and protein) due to dietary AFB1 exposure for a period of 6 weeks in a rodent model, have been evaluated. Drug metabolizing enzymes CYP1A1, GSHT, UGT1A and general marker enzymes (LDH, ALT, AST, ALP and γ-GT) of liver were estimated by standardized methods. Aflatoxin adducts (DNA and protein) were quantitated by indirect competitive ELISA. Dietary curcumin enhanced GSHT (p < 0.001) and UGT1A1 (p < 0.05) activity and significantly reduced the activity of CYP1A1 (p < 0.001), in rats exposed to aflatoxin B1. Supplementation of curcumin in the diet normalized the altered activities of LDH and ALT. At molecular level, curcumin significantly reduced AFB1–N7-guanine adduct (p < 0.001) excretion in the urine, DNA adduct (p < 0.05) in the liver and albumin adduct (p < 0.001) in the serum. The experimental results substantiates that curcumin intervention ameliorates the AFB1 induced toxicity.